Mortality due to injuries in Maputo City, Mozambique

Records of all registered deaths due to injuries maintained by the Legal Medicine Department in Maputo City for the period 1 January to 31 December 2000 were reviewed. Among the 1135 registered deaths, road traffic injuries accounted for the most common underlying cause of death (43.7%), followed by firearm discharge (8.7%) and burns (7.8%). For all deaths, skull fracture (21.9%), organ system injury (17.2%) and brain tissue injury (9.3%) were the most important intermediate causes of death and among the immediate causes of death acute anaemia (21.9%) was the most common followed by asphyxia (14.4%) and traumatic shock (12.0%). Overall, most cases were seen in the age group 20-29 years (27.0%) and comprising mainly males (male/female ratio 3.1). The most commonly reported cause for the victims to sustain injuries leading to death were accidents (59.4%), followed by homicides (19.8%), unknown causes (16.1%) and suicides (4.2%). Prevention of road traffic injuries and improved emergency care and health facility-based treatment is needed to reduce injury-related mortality.     

Characteristics of non-fatal injuries in Leon, Nicaragua - 2004

This article describes the epidemiology of injuries collected in the Injury Surveillance System in Leon Hospital in Nicaragua. A total of 6659 persons were treated for injuries in 2004. It was discovered that 88% of all injuries were unintentional, 9% involved interpersonal violence, 2% were self-inflicted and 0.2% was undetermined. Men accounted for 64.7% of the cases, with the highest rate among 20 - 24 year olds (5625.8 per 100,000 inhabitants). Among women, the highest rate was in those aged 64 years and older (5324.2 per 100 000 inhabitants). The most common mechanisms were falls (33.9%), blunt force (26.8%), cut/pierce/stab (15.1%) and transportation-related (12.8%). These results indicate the need to identify prevention strategies for those injuries that were most commonly treated in emergency, such as unintentional falls among older women, self-inflicted poisoning among young women and blunt force and transportation-related injuries among young men.     

Patterns of injuries and motor-vehicle traffic accidents in Athens

The extremely high cost of motor-vehicle accidents in public health leads to the necessity of a better injury data collection in the Accident and Emergency Hospital Departments. The 'Asclepeion' of Voula Hospital covers the southeastern suburban areas of the greater Athens area (1,000,000 population). The aim of this study is to present information on the pattern of injuries in Athens, in order to understand the magnitude of the problem and develop rational prevention programmes. Specially trained health visitors of the Emergency Department Injury Surveillance System (EDISS) interviewed in person every injured victim who was brought into the Emergency Service of the 'Asclepeion' of Voula Hospital. The study was performed during a 3-year period, from 1996 to 1998; 4564 persons were interviewed. Traffic accidents were more frequent on weekdays with a seasonal peak in July and among young Greeks (aged 25 - 34 years). The usual type of injuries seen in vehicle-accident victims were cerebral contusion and concussion, while in motorcycle-accident victims, head contusion and fractures. The most common reasons for the accident were excessive speed, poor condition of road, inattention, abstraction or drowsiness and drug effects. A total of 29.8% of motorcycle drivers and 5.7% of motorcycle passengers wore a helmet and 26.3% of car drivers and 14.1% of car passengers were using seatbelts. The identification of road traffic injury patterns can contribute to the development of injury prevention measures and guide rational preventive interventions that can reduce the incidence of these injuries. The EDISS system established at 'Asclepeion' of Voula Emergency Service can provide useful and accurate information about this serious and multidimensional problem of Greek Public Health.     

Road traffic crashes managed by Rescue 1122 in Lahore,Pakistan

The objective of this retrospective study was to describe demographic characteristics, injury patterns and causes of road traffic crashes (RTCs) managed by Rescue 1122 in Lahore, Pakistan during the period 2005–2010. In total 123,268 RTCs were reported and responded by Rescue 1122 ambulance service during the study period. Of the 132,504 victims of RTCs, there were 67% male and 33% female subjects, and the maximum share (65%) was reported among people aged 16–35 years. Motorcyclists were involved in 45% of crashes, with over-speeding (40%) found to be the major reason of these collisions. Similarly, minor injuries (65%) and fractures (25%) were the most reported outcome of these crashes. It is concluded that data from ambulance services, if appropriately collected, can provide valuable epidemiological information to monitor RTCs in developing countries. However, in Pakistan, the collection of data as well as the registration process needs further improvement.     

Characteristics of non-fatal injuries in Leon,Nicaragua – 2004

This article describes the epidemiology of injuries collected in the Injury Surveillance System in Leon Hospital in Nicaragua. A total of 6659 persons were treated for injuries in 2004. It was discovered that 88% of all injuries were unintentional, 9% involved interpersonal violence, 2% were self-inflicted and 0.2% was undetermined. Men accounted for 64.7% of the cases, with the highest rate among 20 – 24 year olds (5625.8 per 100 000 inhabitants). Among women, the highest rate was in those aged 64 years and older (5324.2 per 100 000 inhabitants). The most common mechanisms were falls (33.9%), blunt force (26.8%), cut/pierce/stab (15.1%) and transportation-related (12.8%). These results indicate the need to identify prevention strategies for those injuries that were most commonly treated in emergency, such as unintentional falls among older women, self-inflicted poisoning among young women and blunt force and transportation-related injuries among young men.     

Child and young adult injuries among long-term Afghan refugees

The aim was to determine the epidemiology and risk factors of childhood and young adult injuries among long-term Afghan refugees in Pakistan. A stratified cluster study was undertaken on a random sample of refugee households from June to July 2002. The Afghan Refugee Injury Survey was administered to the head of the household and recorded all injuries among household members within the last 3 months. Crude injury incidence was 12.3 per 1000 population among those aged 0-29 years (age groups 0-4, 5-14 and 15-29 years). Those aged 15-29 years had the highest injury rate (18.3 per 1000) closely followed by those aged 5-14 (12.3 per 1000) and much higher than the 0-4 years category (2.3 per 1000). Falls accounted for most injuries (48%) with both road traffic injuries and assaults accounting for 15%. The 15-29 year age group (odds ratio = 9.1) and those educated informally or for less than 6 years (odds ratio = 2.10), were associated with injury (p < 0.05) after adjustment for age, gender, occupation and education. Occupation was not associated with injury at a statistically significant level. Afghan refugee children and young adults are disproportionately affected by injuries, especially falls, than children in developed countries. Appropriate injury prevention strategies must be implemented among refugee camps with long-term refugees as part of their health programmes.     

Dishwasher-related injuries: survey and literature review

Domestic injuries are quite common among children aged 0–4 years old. Hazards lurking in the kitchen area can cause serious injuries in children. Through this study, we aim to raise public awareness of the potential and underreported risk of injuries related to dishwashers. Anonymous questionnaires consisting of 12 questions were distributed to adult females with children under 5 years old, including nurses, secretarial staff and outpatients. Commonly used dishwashers were surveyed by visiting high-street stores, and each brand's user manual was studied. A literature search using Medline and Pubmed was conducted for examining reported dishwasher-related sharp injuries. Forty households filled out survey questionnaires. Their responses indicated that 10% and 12.5% of children participate in unloading or loading dishwashers, respectively. Results showed that the incidence of related injuries was 12.5% among adults and 5% among children, and young children are at risk of sharp injuries in households with dishwashers. The dangerous loading and unloading of sharp objects and the direct involvement of toddlers should be discouraged, with the help of manufacturers.     

Patterns of injuries and motor-vehicle traffic accidents in Athens

The extremely high cost of motor-vehicle accidents in public health leads to the necessity of a better injury data collection in the Accident and Emergency Hospital Departments. The ‘Asclepeion’ of Voula Hospital covers the southeastern suburban areas of the greater Athens area (1 000 000 population). The aim of this study is to present information on the pattern of injuries in Athens, in order to understand the magnitude of the problem and develop rational prevention programmes. Specially trained health visitors of the Emergency Department Injury Surveillance System (EDISS) interviewed in person every injured victim who was brought into the Emergency Service of the ‘Asclepeion’ of Voula Hospital. The study was performed during a 3-year period, from 1996 to 1998; 4564 persons were interviewed. Traffic accidents were more frequent on weekdays with a seasonal peak in July and among young Greeks (aged 25 – 34 years). The usual type of injuries seen in vehicle-accident victims were cerebral contusion and concussion, while in motorcycle-accident victims, head contusion and fractures. The most common reasons for the accident were excessive speed, poor condition of road, inattention, abstraction or drowsiness and drug effects. A total of 29.8% of motorcycle drivers and 5.7% of motorcycle passengers wore a helmet and 26.3% of car drivers and 14.1% of car passengers were using seatbelts. The identification of road traffic injury patterns can contribute to the development of injury prevention measures and guide rational preventive interventions that can reduce the incidence of these injuries. The EDISS system established at ‘Asclepeion’ of Voula Emergency Service can provide useful and accurate information about this serious and multidimensional problem of Greek Public Health.     

Seating position and patterns of severely injured body parts among child passengers in motor vehicle crashes: Japan as a distinct case

ABSTRACT

This study describes injury patterns and outcomes related to the seating position of child passengers involved in motor vehicle crashes in Japan. Using data obtained from a national trauma registry database, we compared the occurrence of injuries by body parts, length of hospital stay and in-hospital deaths between front-seating and rear-seating among children. We analysed 166 children aged 0–5 years and 205 children aged 6–12 years. No significant differences were observed between front- and rear-seating for injured body parts, length of hospital stay or in-hospital deaths in the 0–5-year-old victims. Among those aged 6–12 years, rear-seating was associated with a higher incidence of head and chest injuries but the length of stay or in-hospital deaths did not differ. These findings contrast those of previous studies, which found that rear-seating reduces injury risk, possibly attributed to low age-appropriate restraint use among school-aged children in Japan.     

Incidence,patterns and risk factors for injuries among Ugandan children

There is limited epidemiological data on childhood injuries in developing countries. This study assessed the incidence, patterns and risk factors for injuries among children aged 0–5 years in Wakiso District, Uganda. To determine differences, chi-square and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used. Risk factors were assessed using Poisson regression. Overall, information from 359 children of mean age 32 months (SD: 18.4) was collected. Annual incidence of injuries was 69.8 per 1000 children/year (95% CI 58.8–80.8). One fatal injury due to burns was reported. Incidence of injuries was less associated with being female (IRR: 0.56, 95% CI 0.34–0.90) and increasing age of the caretaker (IRR: 0.96, 95% CI 0.92–0.99). The high incidence of childhood injuries necessitates the need for interventions to reduce injuries among children.     

The neglected epidemic: road traffic accidents in a developing country, State of Qatar

The objective of the study is to explore the pattern of road traffic accidents (RTA) and their causes in the State of Qatar. A total of 52,160 RTA, 1130 injuries and 85 fatalities were registered during the year 2000. The data on RTA, injuries and fatalities was obtained from the Traffic Department of the Ministry of Interior, Supreme Council for Planning and Ministry of Public Health. The major cause of traffic accidents in Qatar was careless driving (71%). Relatively there was a more rapid increase in the number of registered vehicles (155%), but accidents were only (61%) in 2000 compared to the year 1983. The majority of victims (53%) were in the age group (10-40) "the most productive class in Society". Forty-three per cent of the total drivers who died due to RTA were in the age group (10-19) who were unlicensed drivers. In 2000, deaths due to RTA were the third leading cause of death after the diseases of the circulatory system and cancer. In conclusion, it is possible to control the epidemic of road traffic injuries through strict policy interventions, mass media and a national traffic campaign to increase the use of seat belts.     

The pattern and predictors of intentionally inflicted injuries on Greek adults; data from an Emergency Injury Surveillance System (EDISS)

Background Intentional injuries due to violence are both a social and a public health problem in most societies. This study assesses the patterns and some of the sociodemographic determinants of violence-related injuries among Greek adults. Methods Data recorded by the Emergency Department Injury Surveillance System (EDISS) during the two-year period 1996-1997 were used. This database relies on all age injury data collected in the emergency departments of three sentinel hospitals, covering both urban and rural population areas. Results Among 52026 recorded injuries, 1322 (3%) were violence related, excluding self-inflicted injuries, while the majority of injuries (28269) were attributed to home and leisure accidents. Weapons of any type were used only in 5% of violence-related injuries. In comparison to home and leisure injuries, the intentionally inflicted injuries occurred more frequently among men, among those 25-54 years old, and were particularly common among migrants and during late night and early morning hours. Violence-related injuries frequently occur in pubs, restaurants, cafeterias and other places of entertainment. However, 52% of violence-related injuries among women occurred at home. Intentional injuries were generally more severe than unintentional ones. Conclusions We conclude that violence is not a negligible public health problem in the Greek population, but is considerably less serious than in most other developed countries. In particular, firearms-related injuries represent a very small fraction of the generally low incidence of violence-related injuries in this Mediterranean country.     

Parents' perceptions, attitudes and behaviours towards child safety: a study in 14 European countries

Injury is the leading cause of death for children 0- 19 years of age in Europe, accounting for 3.1 deaths per 10 000 children per year. The youngest children of the ages 0-4 years require the most protection in this age group, with 2.5 injury-related deaths per 10 000 children in Europe annually. As parents are the primary caregivers of children, it is necessary to learn more about parents' perceptions, attitudes and behaviours towards child safety. This study presents the findings of a 14-country study in Europe on this theme. A quantitative survey of parents of children aged 5 years or under was performed in 14 EU member states in order to enable better targeting of prevention efforts aimed at educating parents. The total sample size was 2088. The results show that 95% of parents reported that they personally take measures to avoid accidental injury to their children. Their top concern with regard to safety of their children was children being hit by a car. The most common response, when asked why some parents find it difficult to protect their children from accidental injury, was not being able to watch their children constantly. Lack of awareness or knowledge about the causes of accidents was the second response. Two-thirds of parents would like to see more help from the government to prevent childhood injuries. Three-quarters of parents agreed that child injuries can be avoided. It was concluded that parents want to be better informed about the causes of child accidents and about actions they and society can take to reduce injury-related risks to children.     

Characteristics and risk factors for accident injury in Canada from 1986 to 1996: an analysis of the Canadian Accident Injury Reporting and Evaluation (CAIRE) database

This study analyzed the database of Canadian Accident Injury Reporting and Evaluation (CAIRE) for the injuries reported from January 1986 to March 1996 in seven provinces at children's or general hospitals in Canada. In order to describe the characteristics of injuries, we compared the different categories of injuries by sex and by age groups, identified patterns of injuries, and detected the products causing injury to Canadian people. The results showed that there were 130,489 injury cases in Canada during the 10 years from 1986 to 1996. The 10–19 year age group had 57,582 cases, representing 44.13% of total injuries, and making it the group with the highest occurrence of injuries. The male injury rate (69.75%) was significantly higher than the female rate (30.25%) (P = 0.0001). Six areas were identified as priorities for intervention: 1) injuries occurring on playgrounds among children and youth; 2) sports and playground apparatus injuries and injuries sustained in transit among young people; 3) the top five causes of injuries; 4) diagnosis and treatment of injuries; 5) consumer products and safety; and 6) nature and physical sites of injuries. Further work is needed in: evaluating injury causes, comparing the results with reports from other countries and the necessary approaches and prevention measures to reduce and control injury occurrences to improve the quality of consumer products, and to protect the health of the population in Canada.     

Epidemiology of yoga-related injuries in Canada from 1991 to 2010: a case series study

The aim is to describe the epidemiology of yoga injuries presenting to select Canadian emergency departments (EDs). Those who presented with a yoga injury to a Canadian ED participating in the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program and had completed a data collection form between 1991 and 2010 were included. Demographic and injury characteristics were tabulated and injury profiles of children were compared to adults. Sixty-six individuals (48 female, 18 male) who sustained 67 injuries were included. The median age was 19 (intraquartile range: 13, 32) and 73% of individuals were injured after 2005 (p = 0.0003). Sprain was the most common injury (23/67, 34%) and the most common body region injured was the lower extremity (27/67, 42%). Significantly more children were injured while being instructed than adults (p = 0.003) but more adults required treatment (p = 0.023). Although yoga-related injuries presenting to an ED are not common, the number of injuries are increasing.     

Injuries among preschool children in the federal state of Brandenburg in relation to social factors – 1997–1999

The aim was to determine the epidemiology and risk factors of childhood and young adult injuries among long-term Afghan refugees in Pakistan. A stratified cluster study was undertaken on a random sample of refugee households from June to July 2002. The Afghan Refugee Injury Survey was administered to the head of the household and recorded all injuries among household members within the last 3 months. Crude injury incidence was 12.3 per 1000 population among those aged 0?–?29 years (age groups 0?–?4, 5?–?14 and 15?–?29 years). Those aged 15?–?29 years had the highest injury rate (18.3 per 1000) closely followed by those aged 5?–?14 (12.3 per 1000) and much higher than the 0?–?4 years category (2.3 per 1000). Falls accounted for most injuries (48%) with both road traffic injuries and assaults accounting for 15%. The 15?–?29 year age group (odds ratio?=?9.1) and those educated informally or for less than 6 years (odds ratio?=?2.10), were associated with injury (p?相似文献   

Risk markers of severe psychological violence against women: a WorldSAFE multi-country study

This study was an attempt to determine the prevalence and significant risk factors associated with severe psychological violence in 6 WorldSAFE sites. The respondents were 3975 women aged 15–49 years and residing in selected urban areas in Chile, Egypt, the Philippines and India. Using a standard instrument translated locally, psychological violence was measured using items indicating the following domains: verbal abuse, fear and separation. A woman who had experienced severe psychological violence had admitted that she had experienced any of the above-mentioned behaviors ‘3 or more times’ in her lifetime (lifetime prevalence) or with her current partner during the past 12 months (current prevalence). The results showed a lifetime prevalence of severe psychological violence ranging from 10.5% of women in Egypt to about 50% in Chile and Trivandrum, India. Verbal abuse was most common among the different behavioral indicators. A woman's mental health status and partner alcohol use were found to be the common significant risk factors. Recommendations were made to facilitate efforts to address severe psychological violence in developing countries.     

Preventing unintentional childhood injury at home: injury circumstances and interventions

New Zealand's (NZ) preschoolers carry the greatest injury burden among children aged 0-14 years. These injuries commonly occur at home. To identify how NZ addresses child injury the 1990s national injury datasets and associated free text were examined retrospectively, NZ injury circumstances and interventions were compared to internationally recognised hazards and best practice, and whether NZ interventions addressed common circumstances of injury was assessed. Certain injuries, often associated with activities of daily living, were not addressed by interventions, although most interventions advocated internationally are implemented in NZ. Possible reasons for main injuries not being addressed were the specificity and variable effectiveness of interventions, normality of many injury circumstances, difficulties in evaluating complex environments, and the need for active intervention. There is considerable scope for NZ to improve its child safety. It is unlikely that simple solutions will be found for complex circumstances in which injury events occur. Strategies to address multifaceted problems requiring changes to personal, social and societal factors are required, with evaluation methods able to match their complexity.