title: Trauma in women of child-bearing age in a high-income developing country.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to study the distribution and causes of trauma in women of child-bearing age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from Al-Ain Hospital (United Arab Emirates-UAE) Trauma Registry. Females aged 16 to 45 years (child-bearing age) who were admitted with trauma between March 2003 and March 2006 were included in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Females represented 9% (n=171) of all trauma patients (n=1809) of the same age group, of which 29% were UAE nationals. The mean age for females was 30.5 years. Road traffic collision (RTC) was the main mechanism of injury (n=78, 46%). Burns were significantly higher in females than males (p=0.001). Cervical fractures were significantly higher in females (p=0.04), while lumbar fractures were significantly higher in males (p=0.03). In females, pelvic fractures were diagnosed in 6.4%, spinal fractures in 7%, and both injuries in 1.2%. Three females died (1.7%), and all were due to RTC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of females involved in trauma were aged 20- 34 years. RTC is the main mechanism of injury and fatality. Female trauma is associated with a high incidence of pelvic fractures. A higher rate of cervical injuries was observed in females in contrast to lumbar injuries in males.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, United Arab Emirates University, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
authors.forename: Alaa K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.forename: Hisham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mirghani
authors.forename: Hani O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Eid
authors.forename: Fikri M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Abu-Zidan
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D010384:Pelvic Bones / Q000293:injuries; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D014479:United Arab Emirates / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D055815:Young Adult