Statement of Purpose Road Traffic injuries (RTI) among children are a growing priority for the country of Georgia. The aim of this study was to explore the epidemiology of RTI that required hospitalization among children aged 0 to 18 from 2015–2020.

Methods/Approach This study is part of the NIH-funded project iCREATE: Increasing Capacity in Research in Eastern Europe. Data were from the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health of Georgia, which collects information about all hospitalizations in the country. Data on RTI were extracted based on ICD-10 codes. SPSS 20 was used for the descriptive statistical analyses.

Results Between 2015 and 2020, 3,567 children aged 0 to 18 were hospitalized due to RTI, which accounted for 0.5% of total hospital discharges. Most children were hospitalized in 2018 (18,5%) and the fewest in 2020 (14,2%). However, the ratio all hospitalization/RTI hospitalization remained constant. RTI was more common in male children (66.0%). The average age was 12 and the median age 13. Most of injuries occurred in June-August. The most common anatomical site of injury was the head (67%) followed by lower and upper extremities (18%) and multiple (10%) injury. The majority, 68,9%, of patients spent 3 or fewer days in hospital. In-hospital deaths occurred in 54 cases (1.5%) of all RTI related hospitalizations. More than half of all fatal injuries were among the pedestrians, pedal cyclists and motorcyclists. The most common diagnoses associated with death were multiple injury (in 46% of RTI cases) and head injury (43% of RTI cases).

Conclusion Prevention strategies need to focus on protecting children in all modes of transport, from walking, biking, and as occupants.

Significance This research provides baseline information to policy makers and researchers about Children RTI epidemiology.