A study on trauma epidemiology in children referred to Isfahan Alzahra Hospital during 2005-8

Accidents are the leading cause of emergency room admissions and mortality for children below the age of 15. This study evaluate overall epidemiological information of pediatric trauma in children referred to Isfahan Alzahra Hospital. This cross-sectional study included 2300 children admitted to Alzahra Hospital emergency room during 2005-8. Data including age, sex, kind of trauma, site of injury, blood pressure and cause of death were recorded in prepared checklist by the study of hospital files. Female to male ratio was 2:1 (66.7% versus 33.3). Most of the events (45%) happened at home and school. Fall (32%) followed by motor vehicle accidents (31.1%) were the most common mechanisms of trauma. The most common areas injured in pediatric multiple trauma victims were head (34.3%) and limbs (18.9%). Mortality rate was (4.1%). Falling down and traffic accidents are very common in pediatric emergencies. Training the parents to believe that their children are in need of protection and surveillance is the most effective program of decreasing trauma-induced mortality in children.