open access
To assess the fluctuations in the incidence of head injuries in paediatric patients in the medical emergency teams material
Affiliations- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Grodno State Medical University, Grodno, Belarus
- Lazarski University, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Emergency Medical Service, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
- Emergency Medicine Centre, Marciniak Lower Silesian Specialist Hospital, Wroclaw, Poland
open access
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Head injuries in children pose a serious challenge both in terms of the management and di- agnostics. Due to technological progress and thus the development of motorization, despite the decreasing overall injury rate, the incidence of high-energy injuries increases. The aim of the study was to assess the frequency of intervention of emergency medical teams to paediatric patients due to head injuries.
METHODS: The study was a retrospective study. The material consisted of medical interventions of medical rescue teams from the regions of Piaseczno and Pruszków from the period 11.2016–10.2017. 422 medical emergency records were analyzed.
RESULTS: Median age of study group was 7.7 years (IQR; 3–12) — females 7.6 years (IQR; 2–13) and males 7.9 years (IQR; 4–12). The injuries occurred most frequently in March (n = 43; 11.8%), and least frequently in February (n = 22; 5.2%). The above relation occurred regardless of gender. Injuries occur most frequently in spring (n = 132; 31.3%), and least frequently in summer (n=88; 20.8%; Tab. 1). In the afternoon an increase in the incidence of injuries was observed. Differences in the incidence of injuries in the group of males and females depending on the time of day were not significantly statistical (p = 0.206). Superficial head injury was the most common injury (n = 122; 28.9%) followed by open head wounds in both males and females.
CONCLUSIONS: The most frequent head injuries were superficial head injuries followed by open head inju- ries. Injuries occurred more often on weekdays, less frequently at weekends. In the afternoon an increase in the incidence of injuries was observed. Injuries occur most frequently in spring and least frequently in summer on a monthly basis they occurred most frequently in March, and least frequently in February re- gardless of gender.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Head injuries in children pose a serious challenge both in terms of the management and di- agnostics. Due to technological progress and thus the development of motorization, despite the decreasing overall injury rate, the incidence of high-energy injuries increases. The aim of the study was to assess the frequency of intervention of emergency medical teams to paediatric patients due to head injuries.
METHODS: The study was a retrospective study. The material consisted of medical interventions of medical rescue teams from the regions of Piaseczno and Pruszków from the period 11.2016–10.2017. 422 medical emergency records were analyzed.
RESULTS: Median age of study group was 7.7 years (IQR; 3–12) — females 7.6 years (IQR; 2–13) and males 7.9 years (IQR; 4–12). The injuries occurred most frequently in March (n = 43; 11.8%), and least frequently in February (n = 22; 5.2%). The above relation occurred regardless of gender. Injuries occur most frequently in spring (n = 132; 31.3%), and least frequently in summer (n=88; 20.8%; Tab. 1). In the afternoon an increase in the incidence of injuries was observed. Differences in the incidence of injuries in the group of males and females depending on the time of day were not significantly statistical (p = 0.206). Superficial head injury was the most common injury (n = 122; 28.9%) followed by open head wounds in both males and females.
CONCLUSIONS: The most frequent head injuries were superficial head injuries followed by open head inju- ries. Injuries occurred more often on weekdays, less frequently at weekends. In the afternoon an increase in the incidence of injuries was observed. Injuries occur most frequently in spring and least frequently in summer on a monthly basis they occurred most frequently in March, and least frequently in February re- gardless of gender.
Keywords
head injury; epidemiology; pediatric; emergency medical service
About this articleTitle
To assess the fluctuations in the incidence of head injuries in paediatric patients in the medical emergency teams material
Journal
Disaster and Emergency Medicine Journal
Issue
Article type
Research paper
Pages
119-124
Published online
2018-12-31
Page views
1900
Article views/downloads
696
DOI
Bibliographic record
Disaster Emerg Med J 2018;3(4):119-124.
Keywords
head injury
epidemiology
pediatric
emergency medical service
Authors
Ruslan Yakubtsevich
Marek Malysz
Jacek Smereka
Dominika Dunder
Piotr Ptaszynski
References (21)- Szarpak Ł, Madziała M. Obrażenia czaszkowo – mózgowe w populacji dziecięcej. Nowa Pediatria. 2011; 4: 85–89.
- Leetch AN, Wilson B. Pediatric Major Head Injury: Not a Minor Problem. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2018; 36(2): 459–472.
- Wing R, James C. Pediatric head injury and concussion. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2013; 31(3): 653–675.
- El-Menyar A, Consunji R, Al-Thani H, et al. Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: a 5-year descriptive study from the National Trauma Center in Qatar. World J Emerg Surg. 2017; 12: 48.
- Trefan L, Houston R, Pearson G, et al. Epidemiology of children with head injury: a national overview. Arch Dis Child. 2016; 101(6): 527–532.
- Bagłaj M. Minor Head Injury in Children - an Urgent Plea for Definition. Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine. 2010; 19: 661–668.
- Radecka P, Kwiatkowski S, Milczarek O. Analiza wytycznych postępowania w lekkich i średniociężkich urazach głowy u nieletnich w latach 2002-2012. Czy istnieje możliwość ujednolicenia wskazań do wykonywania badań obrazowych. Ostry Dyżur. 2013; 6: 99–104.
- Hilger T, Bagłaj M, Zgierski J, et al. Lekki uraz głowy u dzieci - propozycja algorytmu postępowania klinicznego. Medycyna Wieku Rozwojowego. 2010; 14: 28–36.
- Bishop NB. Traumatic brain injury: a primer for primary care physicians. Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care. 2006; 36(9): 318–331.
- Dunning J, Daly JP, Lomas JP, et al. Children's head injury algorithm for the prediction of important clinical events study group. Derivation of the children's head injury algorithm for the prediction of important clinical events decision rule for head injury in children. Arch Dis Child. 2006; 91(11): 885–891.
- Falk AC, Cederfjäll C, von Wendt L, et al. Management and classification of children with head injury. Childs Nerv Syst. 2005; 21(6): 430–436.
- Pal'a A, Kapapa M, Posovszky C, et al. Head Injury in Children: Has a Change in Circumstances Caused an Increase in Treatment Numbers? J Child Neurol. 2015; 30(9): 1153–1158.
- Skotnicka-Klonowicz G, Godziński J, Hermanowicz A, et al. Postępowanie w lekkich i średniociężkich urazach głowy u dzieci – wytyczne Polskiego Towarzystwa Chirurgów Dziecięcych. Stand Med Probl Chir Dziec. 2014; 1(4): 42–50.
- Leon-Carrion J, Dominguez-Roldan JM, Leon-Dominguez U, et al. The Infrascanner, a handheld device for screening in situ for the presence of brain haematomas. Brain Inj. 2010; 24(10): 1193–1201.
- Bressan S, Daverio M, Martinolli F, et al. The use of handheld near-infrared device (Infrascanner) for detecting intracranial haemorrhages in children with minor head injury. Childs Nerv Syst. 2013 [Epub ahead of print]; 30(3)–484.
- Tyzo B, Trojanowski T, Szczepanek D, Rola R. Algorytm wstępnego postępowania w łagodnych urazach glowy z wykorzystaniem przenośnego spektroskopu bliskiej podczerwieni. 2014: 13–20.
- Lewartowska-Nyga D, Nyga K, Skotnicka-Klonowicz G. Can infrascanner be useful in hospital emergency departments for diagnosing minor head injury in children? Dev Period Med. 2017; 21(1): 51–59.
- Muhm M, Danko T, Winkler H, et al. Assessment of prehospital injury severity in children: challenge for emergency physicians. Anaesthesist. 2013; 62(5): 380–388.
- Zaman S, Logan PH, Landes C, et al. Soft-tissue evidence of head injury in infants and young children: is CT head examination justified? Clin Radiol. 2017; 72(4): 316–322.
- Duhaime AC, Rindler RS. Special considerations in infants and children. Handb Clin Neurol. 2015; 127: 219–242.
- Waqas M, Jooma R. Unintentional Head Injury in Children Less than 3 Years of Age: An Insight into Safety Practices in a Developing Country. Pediatr Neurosurg. 2017; 52(5): 306–312.