Management and serious risk factors associated with unintentional injuries in paediatric emergencies in Spain

Abstract Introduction Thirty-eight million patients with injuries are treated in Emergency Departments every year, 90% of them being in the form of unintentional injuries (UIs). There are currently no global records of its management in Spain, or the risk factors that may be associated with them. The objective of this study is to describe the management of UIs in Spanish paediatric emergency departments, and to analyse factors related to the presence of serious injuries. Material and methods A sub-study of a prospective multicentre observational study conducted over 12 months in 11 hospitals of the Spanish Paediatric Emergency Research Group (RiSEUP-SPERG), including children from 0 to 16 years of age consulting for UIs. Epidemiological data, circumstances of the injury, and data on emergency care and discharge destination were recorded on the 13th day of each month. Results A total of 10,175 episodes were recorded, of which 1,941 were UIs 19.1%), including 1,673, of which 257 (15.4%) were severe. The most frequent complementary test was simple radiography (60.0%), and the most frequent procedure was limb immobilisation (38.6%). A significant relationship was found between presenting with a severe UI and age >5 years [OR 2.24 (95% CI: 1.61–3.16)], history of fracture [OR 2.05 (95% CI: 1.22–3.43)], or sports activity as a mechanism of injury [OR 1.76 (95% CI: 1.29–2.38)], among others. Conclusion In Spain, most UIs are not serious. X-rays and immobilisation of extremities are the most frequently performed tests and procedures. Severe UIs were associated with individual factors, such as age >5 years or history of fracture, and with sports activity as a mechanism associated with severity. It is vital to implement measures to improve the prevention of these injuries and to support the training of caregivers through educational programmes.