Severe Unintentional Injuries to Ohio Children: What We Should Be Addressing at Well-Child Visits

Abstract

This was a retrospective study examining severe injuries to Ohio children in order to provide pediatricians with targeted injury talking points at well visits. We included children ≤14 years old from the Ohio Trauma Acute Care Registry with severe unintentional injuries from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2012. There were 45 347 patients; 611 died, and the mean age was 6.8 years. Fractures/dislocations were common (46.6%), and many injuries occurred at home (49.1%). In children ≤2 years old, the leading causes of injury were falls and burns/fire; falls and motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) predominated above this age. Leading causes of death were MVCs, drowning, and suffocation. We concluded that national data may not always reflect state-specific injury patterns. In Ohio, though falls and MVCs were the most common mechanisms, fire and drowning also caused significant injury. Given limited time to discuss injury prevention, pediatricians should concentrate on statewide injuries.

Keywords: anticipatory guidance; unintentional injuries; well-child visits.