(1000) A 10-year Analysis of Pediatric Oral and Neck Injuries in the Emergency Department

Introduction: Prompting immediate recognition and treatment of oral and neck injuries will allow immediate collaboration between emergency department (ED) clinicians, and the different subspecialities. This study aims at investigating the characteristics of ED visits for pediatric oral and neck injuries.

Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was queried regarding ED visits of pediatric oral and neck injuries from 2013-2022. Data utilized includes patient demographics, age, year of injury, product code, type and location of injury, patient outcome, and an event description.

Results: A total of 82,085 injuries were documented (mean age: 6.2 years). Gender distribution revealed 62% male and 38% female patients, while racial demographics showed 42% White, 19% Black, and 30% unspecified race. Injuries were distributed among age groups, with 47% occurring in children aged 1-4, 30% in adolescents aged 5-10, and 23% in teenagers aged 11-17. Patterns emerged, such as scalding burns, contusions, lacerations of the neck, and dental injuries being more prevalent in children aged 1-4, while teenagers exhibited a higher incidence of neck contusions, fractures, and strains. Specific sources of injuries included flooring materials (6.9%), bedding (7%), stairs (5.4%), and chairs (4.2%). Common injury types comprised lacerations (45%), dental injuries (19%), sprains (13%), and contusions (6.1%). The majority of injuries occurred at home (42%), followed by sports-related (15%), and school-related incidents (8.8%). Treatment outcomes indicated that 96.4% of injuries were treated or examined and released, 1.5% were treated and hospitalized, 1.4% left without evaluation, and 0.6% were treated and transferred. Of note, COVID-19 led to a 5% drop in oral and neck injury ED visits, with observed demographic trends.

Conclusions: This data guides targeted prevention, resource allocation, and tailored interventions for specific age groups and injury types. Recognizing potential life-threatening conditions necessitates comprehensive identification and assessment of mouth and neck injuries.