Resumo

GELFMAN, Marcelo G. et al. Trauma por caída de altura en pediatría. Arch. argent. pediatr. [online]. 2005, vol.103, n.5, pp.414-419. ISSN 0325-0075.

Introduction. Injuries produced by trauma are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children, adolescents and adults younger than 40 years old. After motor vehicle-related injuries, falls of all kinds are the second leading cause of death in children. Purpose: We have evaluated the incidence of injury in children that fell from height to propose a screening method. Population, material and methods. A retrospective review of 100 pediatric patients admitted between January 2001 and December 2003 after sustaining a fall from height was performed. 1) Age: 0-16 years. 2) Height of fall: 1 meter for infants and toddlers, 2 meters and more for children older than 2 years old (in order to relate the height of the fall with the body mass). 3) All patients were evaluated and assisted according to ATLS. Patients were divided in 3 groups according to age: Group A: Infants/Toddlers 0-2 years, Group B: Children 3-10 years, Group C: Adolescents 11-16 years. We recorded age, sex, location of the fall, landing surface, patterns of injuries and reason for fall. Epi Info statistical software was used for all the analyses. Results. 67 out of 100 patients were male. The median age was 5 years old (range: 4 months to 15 years). There were 27 patients in Group A, 59 in Group B and 14 in Group C. Sixty four percent of the falls occurred at home. The most common injuries were of the central nervous system (77% of the patients of the A Group had skull fractures). Most fractures (16 patients) and abdominal trauma (18 patients) occurred in group B. Conclusions. Injuries of the CNS were the most common injuries in infants and toddlers. Children (3-10 years) registered the major incidence of fractures and abdominal trauma. Adolescents have an injury pattern similar to that observed in adults.

Palavras-chave : Children; Falls from height; Injuries; Prevention.

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