School-related injuries: A retrospective 5-year evaluation

Purpose: Children and adolescents spend up to 50% of their time at school. The purpose of this study was to assess injury patterns of school accidents (along with their treatment) in the trauma center of a German university hospital, and to compare these data to those in the literature. Methods: All school accidents treated in a level 1 pediatric trauma center over a five-year period were statistically analyzed in a retrospective manner by chart review. Results: There were 1,399 school accidents that were treated in our department. Average age of the injured person was 11.8 years, with a boy:girl ratio of 3:2. Almost 40% of the injuries occurred during school sports. The most frequently injured region was the upper extremity, including the hand (36.8%). Distortion and contusion was the most frequent diagnosis among all injuries. Sixteen percent of the cases had to be treated surgically and/or under general anesthesia, and 16% of the patients had to be admitted to the hospital. Conclusion: It can be concluded that special attention must be paid during school sporting activities and breaks because they account for most of the accidents. Traffic education may reduce severe injuries. Specific knowledge of the growing long bones of the upper extremity and the hand is important for the diagnosis and treatment of school accidents.