Characteristics and trends of pediatric trauma on Jeju Island, Korea: a community-level serial cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and epidemiological trends of pediatric injuries among patients visiting emergency departments on Jeju Island, Korea.

Methods: Using a community-level serial cross-sectional analysis, we targeted pediatric patients 18 years or younger who visited emergency departments for injuries over a 10-year period. A comprehensive examination of injury characteristics and epidemiological trends was performed using the data sourced from the Jeju Injury Surveillance System. This included an evaluation of the annual incidence and overall trends in pediatric injury cases.

Results: The study found toddlers (42.5% of cases) to be the most frequently injured age group. Male patients were more prone to injuries, with a male to female ratio of 1.7:1. Injuries among visitors accounted for 17.3% of cases, with a seasonal spike in summer, evenings, and weekends. Most incidents occurred at home, were predominantly accidental in nature, with adolescents more likely to require emergency medical system services. The common mechanisms of injuries were blunt force (49.2%), slips/falls (22.0%), and motor vehicle collisions (13.2%), leading to bruises, cuts, and sprains. Over the decade, a general increase in pediatric injuries was observed. Accidental injuries initially surged but later stabilized; however, self-harm/suicide and assault/ violence injuries showed a concerning upward trend. Age-specific analysis revealed increasing trends in infants and adolescents.

Conclusion: The result of the present study underscore the crucial need for targeted injury prevention and resource allocation strategies, particularly for high-risk groups and time of injury, to effectively mitigate pediatric trauma on Jeju Island.