While increased living standards and development of medical sciences have markedly reduced the death rate of children by infectious disease, the number of pediatric patients with various accidents is being steadily increased. The present study was aimed to examine the cause of the accidents and to help take a measure to meet the situation.
As many as 1,161 patients aged less than 15 years, who visited the emergency room of Chonnam National University Hospital from January 1, 989 to December 31, 1991, have been surveyed. The patients were examinde according to their sex, age, time of the day and place to occur, injury site, etc. The results obtained were as follows:
1. Annual accidental pediatric patients were 571 in number in 1989, 463 in 1990, and 627 in 1991.
2. Traffic accident was the most frequent of all (34.1%). Male patients outnumbered female by the ratio of 1.8 to 1. The ages between 7 and 12 years (school children) made up 36.5% of the whole numbers.
3. Accident mainly took place between 5PM to 8PM(37.1%). The frequent places to occur were home (40.6%) and streets and highway (35.0%).
4. Injury sites were mainly on heads and faces (59.7%).
5. Most patients discharged from the hospital in good condition (83.1%) and the rest of them had sequelae (9.3%) or died(7.6%).
6. The patients were with their family at the time of the accident(67.3%).
7. In terms of order in their siblins, 43.1% were the eldest.
8. Most parents graduated from senior high school or above. Mothers in 78.5% of the patents did not have occupation.
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