Unintentional injuries among children and adolescents: A decade of trends

Background Unintentional injuries are among the leading causes of emergency department discharge, hospitalization, and death among children and adolescents in San Diego County. The purpose of this study was to examine trends in unintentional injury over the past ten years.

Methods Using the State of California's Emergency Department Discharge, Patient Discharge, and Death Statistical Master Files databases, we analyzed all unintentional injuries among San Diego County children and adolescents aged 0 to 14 years from 2000 through 2010. Rates of unintentional injuries were also mapped using GIS.

Results/Outcomes From 2000 through 2010, 255 children died from unintentional injuries, another 15,000 were hospitalized, and another 194,795 were treated and released from an emergency department (2006-2010). During this time, the rates of death and hospitalization due to unintentional injuries declined significantly, 52% and 46%, respectively. However, the rate of emergency department discharge increased 6%. Causes of unintentional injury varied by level of medical encounter – drowning/submersions were the leading cause of death and falls were the leading cause of hospitalization and emergency department discharge.

Conclusions Increased policy and advocacy driven measures aimed at preventing injury have driven the overall decline unintentional injury deaths and hospitalizations among children in San Diego County. The slight increase in emergency department rates suggests that the risk of unintentional injury among children is unchanged, whereas the risk of severe and life threatening unintentional injuries had declined. Recent unintentional injury prevention strategies aimed at children and adolescents may impact the overall burden and risk in the near future.