Introduction Research has shown that during the 2003 SARS pandemic, emergency department (ED) visits among the pediatric population decreased. We set out to investigate if this was also true for injury-related ED visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Using data from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP), we looked at 28 years of injury-related ED visits at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, a provincially designated Pediatric Trauma Centre. We compared data from a two-month period during the COVID-19 lockdown (16 March to 15 May) to the same period in previous years (1993–2019) to determine whether the 2020 decrease in ED visit numbers was unprecedented (i.e. a similar decrease had never occurred) for different age groups, nature of injuries, mechanisms and severity. Results The 2020 decrease was unprecedented across all age groups between 1993 and 2019. When compared with the 2015 to 2019 average, the decrease was smallest in children aged 2 to 5 years (a 35% decrease), and greatest in the group aged 12 to 17 years (83%). Motor vehicle collisions and sports-related injuries practically vanished during the COVID-19 lockdown. Surprisingly, more children aged 6 to 17 years presented with less urgent injuries during the COVID-19 lockdown than in previous years. Conclusion As was the case with SARS in 2003, COVID-19 acted as a deterrent for pediatric ED visits. The lockdown in particular had a profound impact on injury-related visits. The de-confinement period will be monitored to determine the impact in both the short and the long term.

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The objective of the present research was to compare the severity of playground-related injuries in backyards of home with those occurring in public settings. This case-control study used emergency-based surveillance data from Canada regarding children, 3-11 years old, who were injured after falling from playground equipment (PGE). Cases were those whose injuries occurred at home (backyards), and controls were those whose injuries occurred in parks, schools or daycare centres. Of the 39,730 subjects selected, 84% happened in public and 16% at home. Children falling from a home PGE had greater odds of severe injuries (OR=1.30; 95% CI 1.23 to 1.37) and fractures (OR=1.47; 95% CI 1.39 to 1.55) than those from public PGE. Children aged 3-5 years falling off slides at home, compared to slides in public settings, had the greatest odds of severe injuries (OR=1.72; 95% CI 1.41 to 2.09) and fractures (OR=2.17; 95% CI 1.79 to 2.64.) When setting up PGE at home, parents should be diligent in using proper landing surfaces, such as those found in public playgrounds.

SUMMARYIncreasing prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been reported in Canada. We report the results of a prospective surveillance of MRSA infections in Alberta over a consecutive 3-year period. A total of 8910 unique clinical MRSA isolates was analysed from July 2005 to June 2008. The incidence of MRSA infection increased over the study period and was highest in males, age group ⩾85 years, and the Calgary Area. CMRSA10 (USA300) and CMRSA2 (USA100/800) were the most common PFGE strain types, representing 53·0% and 27·9% of all isolates, respectively. Significant differences were noted between MRSA strains in the source of infection and antimicrobial susceptibility. The incidence of MRSA infection in Alberta has nearly doubled in the last 3 years; this is attributed to the emergence of CMRSA10 as the predominant strain.