title: Ceiling fan head injury to children in an Australian tropical location.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore clinical aspects of head injuries caused by ceiling fans in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cases were identified using a sensitive search strategy of the Townsville Emergency Department information system from 1 December 2005 to 30 April 2010, and a retrospective structured medical record review was undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period there were 136 presentations with relevant injuries, with a higher incidence in the warmer months. There were three common mechanisms; those related to ingress and egress from bunk beds, children lifted by an adult, and children jumping from a piece of furniture. Aside from lacerations, the majority of children had unremarkable history and examination findings. There were 29 Computed Tomography (CT) scans of the head performed, four skull X-rays and no c-spine imaging. Forty-six children received sedation or anaesthesia as part of their management, 38 in the Emergency Department and eight in the operating theatre. Seven children sustained skull fractures and a total of 13 children were admitted to hospital for an average length of stay of 2.3 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ceiling fans are a small but important source of paediatric head injury in tropical Australia. Significant injuries are possible with 5% of patients having a positive finding on CT scan. Most fractures are palpable, CT is recommended if fracture cannot be confidently excluded clinically.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, The Townsville Hospital, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Furyk
authors.forename: Richard Charles
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.forename: Daren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Costello
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000389:Air Conditioning / Q000295:instrumentation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006794:Household Articles; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D022125:Lacerations / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data