Clinical Analysis of the Pediatric Death Patients Visiting Emergency Center

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: To collect the data related to the prevention of death in pediatric patients in the emergency center, the authors made a clinical analysis of pediatric death patients who visited the emergency center of Wonkwang University Hospital. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective analysis of 49 pediatric deaths under the age of 16 years, observed in the Wonkwang University Hospital emergency center from January 1st, 1995 to December 31th, 1996. RESULTS: 1) Among a total of 49 pediatric patients who died (24 patients in 1995 and 25 patients in 1996), 19 patients were dead on arrival and 30 were died after arrival. 2) The cause of death of all the patients of 1 to 5 years old was the accident, and that of the majority patients of less than 1 year was disease. 3) We observed the diurnal variation in pediatric death and the rate was higher between 1200 to 600. P.M. 4) Iksan city was the most common place of residency of the patients(71.4%) 5) 36 patients (73.5%) died from traffic accidents and 29 of them were victims of pedestrian traffic accidents. 6) The most common cause of death in accidents was head injury(54%). CONCLUSION: The majority of the pediatric death patients observed in our emergency center was involved in pedestrian traffic accident, head injury, so we conclude that team approach with pediatric trauma specialist could decreased unwanted pediatric deaths.