RESUMO
Introduction: Small bowel injury is common after blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma resulting in significant mortality andmorbidity in a generally active population. Delay in diagnosis and treatment results in a worse outcome. Our study aims todelineate the magnitude of the problem in a tertiary care teaching hospital and determine the factors resulting in a poor outcome.Materials and Methods: This institution-based, observational descriptive study was conducted over a period of 15 months. Thesample included patients with blunt or penetrating abdominal, trauma with small intestinal perforation. Patients with concurrentmajor CNS, cardiothoracic, and orthopedic trauma were excluded from the study. Various factors likely to affect final outcomewere recorded. The appropriate surgical procedure was performed and post-operative recovery and any complications includingmortality data were recorded and analyzed.Results and Analysis: A total of 38 patients were included. Males outnumbered females. Mean age of presentation was 32.03years signifying a younger population. Motor vehicle accidents and blunt trauma were more common. Mortality rate was 18.4%.The presence of shock at admission and death was significantly related. Delay in surgery significantly increased the length ofhospital stay.Conclusion: Small intestinal perforation resulting from abdominal trauma is a condition associated with a very high mortalityand morbidity, especially in a young and active population. The efforts to reduce its incidence are beyond this discussion, butmeasures to reduce its resultant mortality and morbidity are definitely possible and feasible in a well-equipped, tertiary caresetting. This requires sincere, well-concerted efforts from all strata of government including health caregivers.
RESUMO
Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the incidence and risk factors of fall injuries among infants admitted inour institution.Design: Review of data from a large injury database.Setting: The Emergency Department Injury Surveillance System.Patients: A total of 2672 injured infants. Interventions Children’s guardians were interviewed using a questionnaire. Theresults of an independent survey of 777 mothers of non-injured children younger than 2 years attending the same emergencydepartments were used to allow quantification of the role of specific nursery equipment in the causation of infant fall injuries.Main Outcome Measures: Annual rate of injury by falling in infants, overall and by cause.Results: An annual incidence rate of 44 injuries per 1000 infants. The incidence of falls increases with increasing infant age. Ahigh percentage of severe injuries was detected, most of them concussions (14.3%) and fractures (9.4%). Approximately 10%of infants with fall-related injuries required hospitalization. More than 36% of fall injuries involved nursery equipment. Infantwalker use was associated with a higher incidence of falls (about 9/1000 infant-years), and these falls occasionally involvedstairs and caused serious injuries.Conclusions: Falls are a common cause of serious infant injuries, and nursery equipment is frequently involved in the injurycausing event