[Child Abuse and Violence As Reasons for Injuries in Childhood: Results of a Monitoring of Children and Adolescents in South Brandenburg (Germany)]

Overview

Journal Unfallchirurg

Date 2010 Apr 16

PMID 20393833

Citations 1

Authors

L Geerdts

G Ellsasser

S Fuhrer

T Erler

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: During childhood injuries are one of the most common reasons for a consultation, second only to infectious diseases. Not as rare as aspected these injuries are caused by maltreatment. The aim of this study is to show the frequency of non-accidental injuries (NAI) in the patient group from a pediatric hospital in East Germany.

Material And Methods: Over a 12-month period all cases of injured children who needed to be hospitalized for treatment were registered. In a computer based questionnaire various parameters, such as age, sex, social status, and accident details were documented.

Results: A total of 573 injured children and adolescents needed inpatient treatment. In 86.7% of the cases injuries resulted from an accident. In 8.6% of all cases a connection to violence could be found mostly in the form of head and soft tissue injuries.

Conclusion: The findings show the importance of a detailed and specific anamnesis and physical exploration of children with trauma. Recognition of maltreated children does not only apply to pediatricians, but also to physicians of several specializations.

Citing Articles

[Legal medicine specialists within the framework of acute care : Analysis of legal medicine consultations in relation to the victims' statistics of the state office of criminal investigation in Saxony-Anhalt].

Pliske G, Heide S, Lucas B, Brandstadter K, Walcher F, Kropf S Unfallchirurg. 2017; 121(5):391-396.

PMID: 28921014 DOI: 10.1007/s00113-017-0413-3.

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