Dataset Information

Pediatric outdoor recreational injuries: another hidden concern during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recreational equipment sales rose significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated changes in the incidence of pediatric emergency department (PED) visits related to outdoor recreational activities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a large children's hospital with a level 1 trauma center. Data were obtained from PED electronic medical records of children 5-14 years with a visit from March 23-September 1 in years 2015-2020. Patients with an ICD-10 code for injury associated with recreation and use of common outdoor recreational equipment were included. Initial pandemic year, 2020, was compared with pre-pandemic years (2015-2019). Data collected included patient demographics, injury characteristics, deprivation index, and disposition. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the population and Chi-squared analysis was used determine relationships between groups.

Results

There were 29,044 total injury visits during the study months with 4715 visits (16.2%) due to recreational mechanisms. A higher proportion of visits due to recreational injury visits occurred during the COVID pandemic (8.2%) compared to before (4.9%). Comparing patients included within the two times, were no differences in sex, ethnicity, or ED disposition. During the COVID pandemic, there was a higher percentage of White patients (80% vs 76%) and patients with commercial insurance (64% vs 55%). There was a significantly lower deprivation index for patients injured during the COVID pandemic. There were more injuries due to bicycles, ATV/motorbike, and non-motorized wheeled vehicles during the COVID pandemic.

Conclusions

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in bicycle, ATV/motorbike, and non-motorized wheeled vehicle injuries. White patients with commercial insurance were more likely to be injured compared to years prior. A targeted approach to injury prevention initiatives should be considered.

SUBMITTER: Blumberg MP

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10311709 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Pediatric outdoor recreational injuries: another hidden concern during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Blumberg Melissa P MP Gittelman Michael A MA Pomerantz Wendy J WJ

Injury epidemiology 20230629 Suppl 1

<h4>Background</h4>Recreational equipment sales rose significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated changes in the incidence of pediatric emergency department (PED) visits related to outdoor recreational activities during the COVID-19 pandemic.<h4>Methods</h4>A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a large children's hospital with a level 1 trauma center. Data were obtained from PED electronic medical records of children 5-14 years with a visit from March 23-September ...[more]

PMID: 37386561

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Project description:IntroductionAlthough single institution studies have analyzed various animal attacks, there has not been multicenter investigation into dog bites in children. The purpose of this study was to characterize national trends and investigate the characteristics of pediatric dog bites.MethodsAretrospective cohort study was conducted of pediatric dog bite injuries in the United States from 2015 to 2020 using the Pediatric Health Information System national database. Patient characteristics, injury locations, and need for intervention were analyzed. Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson chi-square, and Fisher exact test, and linear multivariate regressions were performed for statistical analysis of data values; statistical significance was maintained at P < 0.05.ResultsA total of 56,106 patients were included, majority male (55.1%) with a median age 6.8 years (interquartile range 3.5-10.6). Incidence peaked in July (median =1217) with nadirs in February (median = 760). A substantial increase in bites was seen per overall Emergency Department presentations during the pandemic. Most common bite location was the head (62.1%), followed by the upper extremity (25.1%). Relative proportions of dog bites to the face gradually decreased with age (B = -3.4%/year, P< 0.001), whereas proportions to the upper extremities (B = + 1.9%/year, P < 0.001) and lower extremities (B = + 1.6%/year, P = 0.002) gradually increased with age. Overall, 8.0% patients required repair in the operating suite. injuries isolated to the head (OR= 2.6, P < 0.001) and those to multiple anatomic regions were more likely to require operative intervention [operating room (OR= 2.6, P < 0.001)].ConclusionsDog bites most commonly occur during the summer in school-aged boys. Toddlers disproportionately suffer injuries to the head, with a trend towards upper extremity bites in teenagers. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic ushered a spike in dog bite presentations among Emergency Department visits, further underscoring the need for targeted educational initiatives to halt the persistence of these preventable injuries.

Dataset Information

Pediatric outdoor recreational injuries: another hidden concern during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Pediatric outdoor recreational injuries: another hidden concern during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Similar Datasets

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