%0 Journal Article %T Falls in young children with minor head injury: a prospective analysis of injury mechanisms %J Brain injury %D 2015 %A Samuel, Nir %A Jacob, Ron %A Eilon, Yael %A Mashiach, Tania %A Shavit, Itai %V 29 %N 7-8 %P 946-950 %X BACKGROUND: Fall is a common mechanism of injury (MOI) in young children and an important risk factor for traumatic brain injury (TBI). Most children who fall have a minor head injury (MHI), defined as a blunt head trauma that occurred in a patient who is conscious and responsive.

OBJECTIVE: To seek a possible association between MOI and injury severity.

METHODS: A single centre cohort study was conducted. Data were collected on patients aged 0-2 years with MHI. Clinically-significant TBI (csTBI), defined as head injury resulting in death, intubation or neurosurgery, was the primary outcome measure. Traumatic finding on CT scan (TFCT) was the secondary outcome measure.

RESULTS: Five hundred and ninety-five patients were analysed. Eight types of falls were identified: from ground-level, down stairs, from a bed, from a changing table, from furniture, from adult-hold, from a playground-device and from a stroller/baby-carriage. One patient (0.16%) had csTBI. Thirty-one (5.2%) underwent CT scans, TFCT was diagnosed in 17 (2.8%) patients; 10 (1.7%) linear skull-fractures, two (0.3%) depressed skull-fractures and five (0.8%) intracranial haemorrhages. Regression analysis did not reveal a statistically significant association between any of the MOI and the presence of TFCT.

CONCLUSIONS: The risk for csTBI was low and no association was found between MOI and injury severity.

Language: en

%G en %I Informa - Taylor and Francis Group %@ 0269-9052 %U http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/02699052.2015.1017005