Epidemiology of paediatric trauma in Hong Kong: A multicentre cohort study

Abstract Introduction Trauma is the commonest cause of death and major morbidities in children and adolescents worldwide. There has been a lack of data on the epidemiology of trauma among children in Chinese cities include Hong Kong. Therefore the current study was conducted to examine the spectrum of paediatric trauma in Hong Kong and to address knowledge gaps in its epidemiology and prevention. Objective This study aimed to describe the epidemiological features of paediatric trauma and explore the characteristics in the low income group which would help to guide the design of effective interventions and future research on prevention of paediatric trauma. Method A descriptive study on the epidemiology of trauma in children ≤18-year-old using a standardised injury registry embedded within a population-based hospital database. Information on demographics, injury type, mechanism, injury severity score (ISS) and injury prevention prioritization score (IPPZ) were collected to identify the epidemiological features and prevention initiatives. Result The overall female to male ratio was 1: 1.97, which increased with age from 1:1.45 (infant; below 2 years old) to 1:2.67 (adolescent; 12-18 years old). The overall mean ISS was 7.98 (SD 9.18), ISS increased with age significantly (rho=0.143, P Conclusion The study provided updated epidemiological characteristics of paediatric trauma, which could be used to guide focus prevention of paediatric trauma. The findings also highlighted further study initiatives including injury surveillance, geographical analysis and environment modification.