Epidemiological characteristics of pediatrics fracture at tertiary care hospital, Malaysia

Abstract

Background: Childhood fracture resulting from trauma has become a major cause of morbidity, disability and socio-economic burden worldwide as well as Malaysia. So, we aim to assess the various epidemiological parameters that influence the etiology of fracture among the pediatrics population at Melaka, Malaysia and to establish data to develop effective preventive strategies.Methods: A hospital based cross sectional study was conducted at Melaka General Hospital, Melaka from January 2013 to December 2013. There were total 369 pediatrics fracture cases admitted to MGH during study period.Results: Among 369 cases, (64.2%) of cases were found among school going age followed by (30.9%) among toddler and (4.9%) of cases among infant. (69.6%) of cases were males and most of them were Malay (87.3%) The incidents occurred mostly in evening around 6pm most significantly in between 10 am to 11 pm. The most common place of injury was at home (40.4%) and fall (77.2%) is the most common mechanism of injury. Left upper extremity involved majority of facture and common site of injuries were around elbow. Epiphyseal injuries account for (9.4 %) and among them distal radius epiphyseal injury account for (68.6 %) which is statically significant (P=0.00).Conclusions: We concluded that the common mechanism of fracture was fall, (low energy trauma) occurred at home involving left upper extremity around elbow. We believed that community based education by health care professionals and paediatricians on prevention strategies can be instrumental in reducing the incidence of paediatric fractures.

Profiles of Patients with Musculoskeletal Injury in Children at Tertiary Referral Hospital in Indonesia

“…Injury to children carries a high morbidity and mortality rate due to factors such as physical vulnerability, innate curiosity to experiment, and the inability to perceive danger [7]. Injuries to children can also have significant social and economic implications because children require higher hospital cost, treatment, and material [8].…”

“…This is consistent with research conducted in other countries such as Sweden, Malaysia, China, and Australia. In Sweden, Malaysia, China, and Australia, the percentages of boys with fractures were 60%, 69.9%, 65%, and 60%, respectively [8], [9], [7], [10]. This condition is thought to be mainly due to boys' increased exposure to the risk of injury in their daily activities [11].…”

“…Meanwhile, in Sweden and Scotland, the most common cause of fractures in children was fall with a height of <1 m [13]. Likewise, China and Malaysia reported that the most common cause of fractures in children was a fall [7], [8].…”

“…Another study by Song et al [8] in China also says that children's most common fractures are in the upper extremities. Meanwhile, Bhardwaj et al concluded that the most common fracture location in children in Malaysia is the elbow, followed by the distal radius and the forearm [7]. In European countries, especially England, Cooper et al described in their research that fractures in children predominantly occurred in the radius or ulna followed by the hand [5], [9], [15].…”