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Affiliation
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Department of Neurosurgery, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. |
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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the circumstances of playground equipment-related head injuries in children and consider preventive measures based on the associated characteristics.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The survey period was from February 1988 to January 2017. The study participants were children under 15 years of age who had been hospitalized for playground equipment-related head injuries. The following factors were investigated retrospectively: age; sex; fall height; material of the surface under the equipment; mechanism and diagnosis of the head injury; neurological signs at admission; and neurological outcome.
RESULTS: A total of 42 children (median age, 5 years; M/F: 26/16) were treated for head injuries, which involved a slide in 20 (48.0%) cases, a swing in 11 (26.0%), a jungle gym in five (12.0%), monkey bars, iron bars, and a trampoline in one each, and unspecified equipment in six (14.0%). Falls ranged from a height of 1.2 to 2.5 m. Most of the falls occurred on hard soil or concrete. Head injuries depended on the age of the child, the injury mechanisms, and the characteristics of the equipment.
CONCLUSIONS: The playground equipment-related head injuries found in the present study involved not only skull fractures and concussions, but also intracranial hemorrhage and surgical cases. Children routinely use playground equipment, so effective strategies to reduce the occurrence of playground equipment-related head injuries need to be formulated. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Language: en |