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Fractures sustained by children who fall from a height as seen at Kenyatta National Hospital
Abstract
Objective: To determine the types of fractures encountered in children who fall from a height.
Design: Prospective, descriptive, convenience hospital based study. Setting: Kenyatta National Hospital.
Subjects: Eighty children aged 1-13 years who sustained injuries after falling from a height Results: A total of 80 children were recruited into the study over a six month period. Males were 61% and females (24 %), with an age range 0-13 years. Most injuries occurred at home (78.75%), falling from buildings (33.75%), and were of mild to moderate severity. Fifty five per cent (43.1%) out of 127 injuries sustained were fractures. The commonest were supralcondylar humeral fractures 22 (17.3%) followed by femoral 15 fractures (11.8%), 9 radius and ulna fractures (7.1%), five humeral shaft fractures (4%) and others. Children older than six years were more likely to suffer fractures than their younger ones, recording 90% and 50% of all injuries respectively (p= 0.003). No pelvic fractures were recorded. Recovery was good in most instances. Conclussion: The most likely fractures after a fall from height in children are supracondylar humeral fractures, femoral shaft fractures and radial and ulna fractures in that order. Most of these injuries heal without major disabilities.
Design: Prospective, descriptive, convenience hospital based study. Setting: Kenyatta National Hospital.
Subjects: Eighty children aged 1-13 years who sustained injuries after falling from a height Results: A total of 80 children were recruited into the study over a six month period. Males were 61% and females (24 %), with an age range 0-13 years. Most injuries occurred at home (78.75%), falling from buildings (33.75%), and were of mild to moderate severity. Fifty five per cent (43.1%) out of 127 injuries sustained were fractures. The commonest were supralcondylar humeral fractures 22 (17.3%) followed by femoral 15 fractures (11.8%), 9 radius and ulna fractures (7.1%), five humeral shaft fractures (4%) and others. Children older than six years were more likely to suffer fractures than their younger ones, recording 90% and 50% of all injuries respectively (p= 0.003). No pelvic fractures were recorded. Recovery was good in most instances. Conclussion: The most likely fractures after a fall from height in children are supracondylar humeral fractures, femoral shaft fractures and radial and ulna fractures in that order. Most of these injuries heal without major disabilities.
