Incidence ,Causes and Relation to Age and Sex of Pediatrics Accidents Potharam General Hospital, Ratchaburi

Abstract

Background : Accidents and injuries were the leading causes of deaths in Thai children; especially they drowned and had traffics accidents. The studies of incidence, causes and outcomes of injuries in children is useful for prevention and reduction of these accidents.

Objective : To study incidence, relations between sex, age and causes of accidents in children from 0 – 15 years old.

Design : Retrospective descriptive Study

Setting : Potharam General Hospital ,Ratchaburi.

Population : Eight hundred and twenty-three injured children, aged 0-15 years old, as inpatients of Potharam General Hospital, Ratchaburi province, during the year of 2004-2007.

Method : The raw data were collected from inpatient’s medical records.

Statistics : Descriptive statistical analysis

Results : Most accidents occurred  in boys, with ratio of girls and boys of 1:1.78. Leading cause of death was traffics accidents (37.2%). Most injured children were in the ages of 11-15 years (41.2 %) and 6-10 years (30.3%). Most of  incidences were traffic accidents and falls.  Those of the age of  1-5 years were falls, insects bites, and chemical poisonings. Three of them drowned and three died of traffic accidents.

Conclusion : Children of each age groups had individual specific   risks of accidents. Counseling  of injury prevention in children should be especially for each age group.

Keywords : Pediatrics accidents, incidence