Glass injuries seen in a paediatric tertiary hospital in Singapore: An epidemiology study

Abstract

Lacerations rank as the most common paediatric injury that requires a physician evaluation. Glass is a frequent cause of such lacerations, however there is currently little to no information on this. Hence, this paper aims to describe the burden and characteristics of such injuries in Singapore. This study is a retrospective review of glass-related trauma presented to paediatric hospital KKH Emergency Department between 1st January 2017 and 4th July 2023. Data on patient and injury characteristics, as well as treatment plans were collected.

680 patients up to 18 years old (average 6.93) were included in the study. 420 (62 %) were male. The number of glass-related injuries were stable at about 100 per year from 2017 to 2023. 649 (95 %) cases were unintentional. 528 (78 %) injuries occurred indoors.159 (23 %) children had adult supervision at time of injury. A majority of 458 (67 %) injuries occurred during the weekday. Primary blunt injuries were the highest at 414 (61 %), followed by 230 (34 %) penetrating injuries. 317 (37 %) injuries occurred at the lower limb, 305 (36 %) at the upper limb, and 105 (12 %) at the face. 596 (87.6 %) patients had “None to mild” injuries, 31 (4.6 %) with “Moderate” injuries, and 53 (7.8 %) with “Severe” injuries. Glass doors led to 315 (46 %) cases, with glass shards and glass panels causing 85 (12.5 %) and 84 (12.5 %) cases respectively.

555 (82 %) of patients received definitive treatment in the Emergency Department and 74 (11 %) required surgery. The average duration of hospitalization of all patients is 0.36 days. 430 patients averaged 3.66 weeks of follow-up, while 247 were discharged immediately. 85 (13 %) patients required inpatient care. Only 1 patient required fluid resuscitation in the Emergency Department. Most glass injuries are unintentional, caused by glass doors, occur indoors and are, fortunately, mild cases.