Article Text
Abstract
Injuries are among the top causes of hospital-based mortality in individuals 1 to 44 years of age in Oman. However, little is known about the distribution and risk of injuries among children under 15 years of age. This paper uses data collected from a trauma registry established in two hospitals in Oman to describe the epidemiology and risk factors for injuries among children 0–15 years of age. The data from pilot trauma registry of two regional hospitals (Nizwa and Khoula) of Oman, was included. All patients between 0–15 years with a diagnosis of injury/trauma admitted to the hospital, and those who had trauma team activation in the Emergency Department (ED) were included in the analysis. Descriptive and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to generate socio-demographic profiles and to study risk factors for need of surgical management of injuries. Out of 795, 59.5% children were under-5 years of age; 67% were males. Around 50% of the injuries were due to falls, followed by exposure to inanimate mechanical forces and transport injuries. Burn injuries were seen more commonly in females. Three-fourth of all injuries occurred in private residences. Almost 92% of the injuries were minor in severity (Injury severity score <9). Patients suffering from head injuries (OR=21.6: 95% CI 13.98 to 33.35), or being involved in a burn injury (5.73; 95% CI 2.68 to 12.25) were at higher risk of undergoing surgical treatment.
More than 30% of all injury admissions to EDs in Oman were children under 15 years of age. High Incidence of falls, home injuries and burns highlight the need for age-targeted interventions, programs and policies changes to reduce injury events in this population. Although infrequent, transport injuries and head injuries put the children in need of surgical management and prolong hospital care.