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Lacerations in Urban Children: A Prospective 12-January Study

Lacerations in Urban Children: A Prospective 12-January Study Abstract • We prospectively investigated the epidemiologic characteristics of all lacerations (N = 2834) repaired at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (Pa) during 1987 and identified common hazards and possible avenues of intervention. Two-year-old children incurred most injuries; males outnumbered females 2:1. Almost two thirds (61.8%) of all lacerations occurred from May through September, and 62.2% between 3 and 9 pm. Most injuries occurred indoors (47.0%), on the sidewalk or street (22.5%), or in the residential yard (13.0%). Injuries usually occurred during play (42.3%) or daily activity (32.1%); 1247 (44.0%) involved some sort of fall. Vectors most frequently causing injury were broken glass bottles (15.0%), wooden furniture (12.0%), and asphalt or concrete (11.0%). Broken glass bottles also most frequently inflicted injuries resulting in functional impairment (0.2%), hospitalization (0.9%), or both. Complications were seen in 8% of all lacerations. Our data confirm the importance of injuryprevention strategies aimed at reduction of discarded glass objects (ie, recycling legislation), improved furniture design, and improved municipal services (ie, street repair). (AJDC. 1990;144:87-92) References 1. Izant RJ, Hubay CA. Annual injury of 15,000,000 children: a limited study of childhood accidental injury and death . J Trauma . 1966;6:65-74.Crossref 2. Chenoweth A. Health problems of infants and children . In: Wallace HM, Gold EM, Liss EF, eds. Maternal and Child Health Practices . Springfield, Ill: Charles C Thomas Publisher; 1973:651-666. 3. Manheimer DI, Dewey J, Mellinger GD, Corsa L. Fifty thousand child-years of accidental injuries . Public Health Rep . 1966;81:519-533.Crossref 4. Rivara FP, Bergman AB, LoGerfo JF, Weiss NS. Epidemiology of childhood injuries, II: sex differences in injury rates . AJDC . 1982;136:502-506. 5. Ousby J, Wilson DH. One thousand eighty-six consecutive injuries caused by glass . Injury . 1980;13:427-430.Crossref 6. Joseph KN, Kalus AM, Sutherland AB. Glass injuries of the hand in children . Hand . 1981;13:113-119.Crossref 7. Jackson RH. Lacerations from glass in childhood . Br Med J . 1981;283:1310-1312.Crossref 8. Bell D. Two hundred glass injuries . Arch Dis Child . 1984;59:672-673.Crossref 9. Baker MD, Chiaviello C. Household electrical injuries in children: epidemiology and identification of avoidable hazards . AJDC . 1989;143:59-62. 10. Baker MD. Foreign bodies of the ears and nose in childhood . Pediatr Emerg Care . 1987;3:67-70.Crossref 11. Schloss MD, Pham-Dang H, Rosales JK. Foreign bodies in the tracheobronchial tree: a retrospective study of 217 cases . J Otolaryngol . 1983; 12:210-216. 12. Orlowski JP. Drowning, near-drowning, and ice-water submersions . Pediatr Clin North Am . 1987;34:75-92. 13. Veltri JC, Litovitz TL. 1983 annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers National Data Collection System . Am J Emerg Med . 1984;2:420-443.Crossref 14. Selbst SM, Alexander D, Ruddy R. Bicycle-related injuries . AJDC . 1987;141:140-144. 15. Beck AM, Loring H, Lockwood R. The ecology of dog bite injury in St Louis, Mo . Public Health Rep . 1975;90:262-269. 16. Baker MD, Moore SE. Human bites in children: a 6-year experience . AJDC . 1987;141:1285-1290. 17. Gratz IR. Accidental injury in childhood: a literature review on pediatric trauma . J Trauma . 1979;19:551-555.Crossref 18. Boyce WT, Sprunger LW, Sobolewski S, Schaefer C. Epidemiology of injuries in a large, urban school district . Pediatrics . 1984;74:342-349. 19. Baker MD, Moore SE, Wise PH. The impact of bottle bill legislation upon the incidence of lacerations in childhood . Am J Public Health . 1986; 76:1243-1244.Crossref 20. Rivara FP, Kamitsuka MD, Quan L. Injuries to children younger than one year of age . Pediatrics . 1988;81:93-97. 21. Joffe MD, Ludwig S. Stairway injuries in children . Pediatrics . 1988;82:457-461. 22. McFarlane JP, Jones JE, Lawson JS. Injuries from bicycle accidents: the problem and recommended strategies for prevention . Aust Paediatr J . 1982;18:253-254. 23. Ruddy R, Bacchi D, Fleisher G. Injuries involving household furniture: spectrum and strategies for prevention . Pediatr Emerg Care . 1985; 1:184-186.Crossref 24. Wilson M. Injury prevention: preventing the under-six set . Contemp Pediatr . 1988;5:19-34. 25. Derschewitz RA. Home safety: is anticipatory guidance effective? In: Report of the 12th Ross Roundtable, Seattle, Wash, January 1982 . Columbus, Ohio: Ross Laboratories; (January) 1982. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png American Journal of Diseases of Children American Medical Association

Lacerations in Urban Children: A Prospective 12-January Study

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References (33)

Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1990 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN
0002-922X
DOI
10.1001/archpedi.1990.02150250097042
Publisher site
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Abstract

Abstract • We prospectively investigated the epidemiologic characteristics of all lacerations (N = 2834) repaired at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (Pa) during 1987 and identified common hazards and possible avenues of intervention. Two-year-old children incurred most injuries; males outnumbered females 2:1. Almost two thirds (61.8%) of all lacerations occurred from May through September, and 62.2% between 3 and 9 pm. Most injuries occurred indoors (47.0%), on the sidewalk or street (22.5%), or in the residential yard (13.0%). Injuries usually occurred during play (42.3%) or daily activity (32.1%); 1247 (44.0%) involved some sort of fall. Vectors most frequently causing injury were broken glass bottles (15.0%), wooden furniture (12.0%), and asphalt or concrete (11.0%). Broken glass bottles also most frequently inflicted injuries resulting in functional impairment (0.2%), hospitalization (0.9%), or both. Complications were seen in 8% of all lacerations. Our data confirm the importance of injuryprevention strategies aimed at reduction of discarded glass objects (ie, recycling legislation), improved furniture design, and improved municipal services (ie, street repair). (AJDC. 1990;144:87-92) References 1. Izant RJ, Hubay CA. Annual injury of 15,000,000 children: a limited study of childhood accidental injury and death . J Trauma . 1966;6:65-74.Crossref 2. Chenoweth A. Health problems of infants and children . In: Wallace HM, Gold EM, Liss EF, eds. Maternal and Child Health Practices . Springfield, Ill: Charles C Thomas Publisher; 1973:651-666. 3. Manheimer DI, Dewey J, Mellinger GD, Corsa L. Fifty thousand child-years of accidental injuries . Public Health Rep . 1966;81:519-533.Crossref 4. Rivara FP, Bergman AB, LoGerfo JF, Weiss NS. Epidemiology of childhood injuries, II: sex differences in injury rates . AJDC . 1982;136:502-506. 5. Ousby J, Wilson DH. One thousand eighty-six consecutive injuries caused by glass . Injury . 1980;13:427-430.Crossref 6. Joseph KN, Kalus AM, Sutherland AB. Glass injuries of the hand in children . Hand . 1981;13:113-119.Crossref 7. Jackson RH. Lacerations from glass in childhood . Br Med J . 1981;283:1310-1312.Crossref 8. Bell D. Two hundred glass injuries . Arch Dis Child . 1984;59:672-673.Crossref 9. Baker MD, Chiaviello C. Household electrical injuries in children: epidemiology and identification of avoidable hazards . AJDC . 1989;143:59-62. 10. Baker MD. Foreign bodies of the ears and nose in childhood . Pediatr Emerg Care . 1987;3:67-70.Crossref 11. Schloss MD, Pham-Dang H, Rosales JK. Foreign bodies in the tracheobronchial tree: a retrospective study of 217 cases . J Otolaryngol . 1983; 12:210-216. 12. Orlowski JP. Drowning, near-drowning, and ice-water submersions . Pediatr Clin North Am . 1987;34:75-92. 13. Veltri JC, Litovitz TL. 1983 annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers National Data Collection System . Am J Emerg Med . 1984;2:420-443.Crossref 14. Selbst SM, Alexander D, Ruddy R. Bicycle-related injuries . AJDC . 1987;141:140-144. 15. Beck AM, Loring H, Lockwood R. The ecology of dog bite injury in St Louis, Mo . Public Health Rep . 1975;90:262-269. 16. Baker MD, Moore SE. Human bites in children: a 6-year experience . AJDC . 1987;141:1285-1290. 17. Gratz IR. Accidental injury in childhood: a literature review on pediatric trauma . J Trauma . 1979;19:551-555.Crossref 18. Boyce WT, Sprunger LW, Sobolewski S, Schaefer C. Epidemiology of injuries in a large, urban school district . Pediatrics . 1984;74:342-349. 19. Baker MD, Moore SE, Wise PH. The impact of bottle bill legislation upon the incidence of lacerations in childhood . Am J Public Health . 1986; 76:1243-1244.Crossref 20. Rivara FP, Kamitsuka MD, Quan L. Injuries to children younger than one year of age . Pediatrics . 1988;81:93-97. 21. Joffe MD, Ludwig S. Stairway injuries in children . Pediatrics . 1988;82:457-461. 22. McFarlane JP, Jones JE, Lawson JS. Injuries from bicycle accidents: the problem and recommended strategies for prevention . Aust Paediatr J . 1982;18:253-254. 23. Ruddy R, Bacchi D, Fleisher G. Injuries involving household furniture: spectrum and strategies for prevention . Pediatr Emerg Care . 1985; 1:184-186.Crossref 24. Wilson M. Injury prevention: preventing the under-six set . Contemp Pediatr . 1988;5:19-34. 25. Derschewitz RA. Home safety: is anticipatory guidance effective? In: Report of the 12th Ross Roundtable, Seattle, Wash, January 1982 . Columbus, Ohio: Ross Laboratories; (January) 1982.

Journal

American Journal of Diseases of Children – American Medical Association

Published: Jan 1, 1990

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