Soliciting a model of a child emergency care unit in road accidents in the year 2005

This paper describes the specific model of burden due to child road traffic injuries upon the emergency care unit from a university paediatric hospital during 2005 year. A total number of 193 road trauma cases required emergency care to this hospital. Distribution by seasons pointed out the highest number in summer (31.1%) and comparing the observed repartition by seasons with an expected symmetrical repartition there have been obtained significant differences between seasons (p < 0.02). The regular number of cases was 1-2 daily. The burden of road trauma was unequal, more boys (58.5%) being injured than girls and children living in urban areas recorded similar rates of injuries with those from rural areas. The median age of injured children was nine years, approximately one third of cases being included in 5-9 years age group. The leading non-fatal injuries requiring emergency care as a result of road traffic collisions have been: multiple trauma--166, intracranial injury--128, fractured lower limbs--31, fractured upper limbs--20 cases. Approximately one third of these cases required admission in hospital for complex care, one third have been referred to another hospital (neurosurgery and maxillo-facial clinic) and one third have been discharged after 24 hours of hospitalized monitoring. In conclusion, more road traffic injuries arrived in the emergency care unit of the studied university paediatric hospital during summer without a specific distribution by weekdays, but with a higher probability of being a boy aged 5-9 years, presenting multiple trauma especially intracranial injury and requiring specialised hospital care.