ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Injuries are among the top causes of hospital-based mortality for adults in Oman. However, little is known about the distribution and risk of injuries among children. This paper describes the epidemiology and risk factors for childhood injuries (0-15 years of age), in two hospitals of Oman. METHODS: Data were collected between November 2014 and April 2015 at Khoula and Nizwa Hospitals. All patients between 0 and 15 years with a diagnosis of injury/trauma admitted to the hospital, and those who had trauma team activation in the emergency department were included in the analysis. Descriptive and multivariable Poisson regression analyses were conducted to generate sociodemographic risk factor profiles associated with the need for surgical management of injuries. RESULTS: Out of 795 cases, 59% were under 5 years of age; 67% were males. Around 50% injuries were fall related, followed by exposure to inanimate mechanical forces and transport injuries. Burn injuries were more prevalent in females than males. Three-fourths of all injuries occurred in private residences. Almost 92% injuries were minor (Injury Severity Score <9). Of children with all types of injuries, 303 (40.9%) received surgical treatment. Patients suffering from head injuries (RR 8.8: 95% CI 4.9 to 15.3) or being involved in a burn injury (RR 1.5: 95% CI 0.3 to 7.5) were at increased risk of undergoing surgical treatment. CONCLUSION: In this study, >30% of injury admissions were children 0-15 years of age. The high incidence of falls, home injuries and burns highlight the need for age-targeted interventions and injury control programmes. Although infrequent, transport injuries and head injuries put children in need of surgical management and prolonged hospital care.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Trauma registries (TRs) play a vital role in the assessment of trauma care, but are often underutilized in countries with a high burden of injuries. OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether information and communications technology (ICT) such as mobile health (mHealth) could enable the design of a tablet-based application for healthcare professionals. This would be used to inform trauma care and acquire surveillance data for injury control and prevention in Oman. This paper focuses on documenting the implementation process in a healthcare setting. METHODS: The study was conducted using an ICT implementation framework consisting of multistep assessment, development and pilot testing of an electronic tablet-based TR. The pilot study was conducted at two large hospitals in Oman, followed by detailed evaluation of the process, system and impact of implementation. RESULTS: The registry was designed to provide comprehensive information on each trauma case from the location of injury until hospital discharge, with variables organized to cover 11 domains of demographic and clinical information. The pilot study demonstrated that the registry was user friendly and reliable, and the implementation framework was useful in planning for the Omani hospital setting. Data collection by trained and dedicated nurses proved to be more feasible, efficient and reliable than real-time data entry by care providers. CONCLUSIONS: The initial results show the promising potential of a user-friendly, comprehensive electronic TR through the use of mHealth tools. The pilot test in two hospitals indicates that the registry can be used to create a multicenter trauma database.
