Object Current data indicate the rate of head injuries in children caused by falling televisions is increasing. The authors describe these injuries and the cost incurred by them. Methods In a single-institution retrospective review, all children treated for a television-related injury at LeBonheur Children's Hospital, a Level I pediatric trauma center, between 2009 and 2013 were identified through the institution's trauma registry. The type, mechanism, and severity of cranial injuries, surgical interventions, outcome, and costs were examined. Results Twenty-six patients were treated for a television-related injury during the study period. Most injuries (22 cases, 85%) occurred in children aged 2–4 years (mean age 3.3 years), and 19 (73%) of the 26 patients were male. Head injuries occurred in 20 patients (77%); these injuries ranged from concussion to skull fractures and subdural, subarachnoid, and intraparenchymal hemorrhages. The average Glasgow Coma Scale score on admission was 12 (range 7–15), and 3 patients (12%) had neurological deficits. Surgical intervention was required in 5 cases (19%). The majority of patients made a full recovery. There were no deaths. The total cost for television-related injuries was $1.4 million, with an average cost of $53,893 per accident. Conclusions A high occurrence of head injuries was seen following television-related accidents in young children. This injury is ideal for a public education campaign targeting parents, health care workers, and television manufacturers.

Objective: To assess the relationship between the implementation of a SAFE KIDS Coalition and pediatric unintentional injury rates. Setting: Shelby County, Tennessee. Design: Retrospective observational analysis. Patients: County residents nine years of age or younger presenting to the children's medical center, its emergency department, or its outpatient clinics from 1990-97. Intervention: Implementation of a SAFE KIDS Coalition. Main outcome measures: Rates of unintentional injuries targeted by the SAFE KIDS Coalition that resulted in hospitalization or in death. Rates of motor vehicle occupant injuries that resulted in hospitalization or in death. Rates of non-targeted unintentional injuries, namely injuries secondary to animals and by exposure to toxic plants. Rates of severe injuries (defined as those targeted injuries that required hospitalization or resulted in death), and specifically, severe motor vehicle occupant injuries were compared before and after the inception of the coalition using Poisson regression analysis. Results: The relative risk of targeted severe injury rates decreased after implementation of the coalition even after controlling for changes in hospital admission rates. Specifically, severe motor vehicle occupant injury rates decreased 30% (relative risk 0.70; 95% confidence interval 0.54 to 0.89) after initiation of the coalition. Conclusions: The implementation of a SAFE KIDS Coalition was associated with a decrease in severe targeted injuries, most notably, severe motor vehicle occupant injuries. Although causality cannot be determined, these data suggest that the presence of a coalition may be associated with decreased severe unintentional injury rates.