• Mansour M Almalki, Mohammed E Almalki, Nedaa Alsulaimani, Shahad Tariq, Taif Alqahtani, Fawaz Baalaraj, and Mohammed Ageel.
• From the College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Saudi Med J. 2023 Aug 1; 44 (8): 808814808-814.

ObjectivesTo explore the epidemiology and patterns of pediatric trauma in addition to length of hospital stay and outcome.MethodsA single-center retrospective study of 605 patients aged 14 years and younger was carried out from January to December 2022. The study included all patients who experienced intentional or unintentional trauma aged 14 years or below in 2022 and excluded trauma that did not prompt an emergency room visit.ResultsMost pediatric trauma cases involved boys (69.1%, n=418), and girls comprised only 30.9% (n=187). Trauma was most common in children one to 5 years old (41.5%, n=251). Falling from a height was the most common mode of injury in both girls and boys (n=253, 41.8%). The most common body parts involved were the extremities (n=357, 59%), followed by the head (n=210, 34.7%). Most children were transferred to hospital via emergency medical services (n=234, 38.7%). In most cases, the child was admitted to the surgical ward (n=458, 75.7%), while others were managed in the emergency department without admission (n=93, 15.4%). Most patients were stable after receiving standard care (n=558, 92.2%).ConclusionTo reduce health care expenses and improve public health outcomes, prioritizing preventive measures is crucial. This includes increasing public awareness, implementing safety protocols, and enacting government regulations to prevent avoidable injuries.Copyright: © Saudi Medical Journal.

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