Acute injuries in children visiting the emergency department of Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, in 2019

Background and Aim: Acute injuries are among the most common reasons for pediatric emergency department visits. This study aimed to determine the types of acute injuries among children visiting the pediatric emergency department of Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, in 2019. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, data on acute injuries in children under 15 years old who were referred to the pediatric emergency department of Kashan Shahid Beheshti Hospital in 2019 were collected. The main complaints investigated included accidents, falls, burns, electric shock, foreign body injuries, drowning, blunt trauma, bites, and poisoning. The outcomes assessed included complete recovery, partial recovery, disability, and mortality. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Results: The most common acute injuries in children were, respectively, accidents, falls, and poisoning. Most pediatric patients were triaged at level 3, indicating non-urgent injuries. Moreover, 34.72% of the patients were triaged at level 2, and 3.96% at level 1. The lowest number of injuries was recorded among children aged 0-1 year. In this study, 821 children were urban residents and 190 were rural residents. Surgery, suturing, and supportive care were the most common treatments provided. Conclusion: Understanding the mechanisms of injury and the epidemiology of acute injuries in children, considering the potential complications, will have a positive impact on the quality of management and provision of facilities in the pediatric department.