Trauma rates in children in Saint Petersburg and inpatient trauma care

BACKGROUND: Increasing rates of childhood trauma, poisoning, and sequelae of environmental exposure not only reduce the quality of life of children and their families but also lead to disability and death. Statistical analysis of childhood trauma data makes it possible to define risk age groups among children and adolescents, identify the causes of the decrease or increase in the rates, estimate the level of medical care, and make necessary management decisions.

AIM: To assess the state of childhood trauma in St. Petersburg and its changes in 5 years (2016–2020) and the provision of inpatient trauma care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data on childhood trauma in St. Petersburg were analyzed based on the analysis of Federal statistical observation forms submitted by the St. Petersburg State Budgetary Institution Medical Center for Information and Analysis, collections of N.N. Priorov National Medical Research Center for Traumatology and Orthopedics of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation ‘Trauma, orthopedic morbidity, the state of trauma and orthopedic care for the population,’ edited by Acad. S.P. Mironov, RAS, and data from the Federal State Statistics Service.

RESULTS: From 2016 to 2019, the frequency of trauma, poisoning, and sequelae of environmental exposure in children of St. Petersburg slightly increased. In 2020, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, childhood trauma rates decreased, and the most significant decrease in trauma rates was recorded at 32%–36% in adolescents aged 15–17 years. Despite the overall decrease in childhood trauma in 2020, the structure of trauma due to environmental exposure revealed an 81% increase in transport accidents, compared with previous years, and a 39% increase in trauma due to injuries with undetermined intentions. For 5 years, the number of beds was reduced, and by 2020, the provision of trauma, and orthopedic beds for children in St. Petersburg was 1.4 beds per 10 thousand children, which corresponds to the data for Russia.

CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of traumatic injuries slightly increased in children in St. Petersburg, mostly in children aged 0–4 years, and mortality from environmental exposure also increased in adolescence. A correlation was found between the COVID-19 pandemic and a decrease in the number of visits and hospital admissions of children with trauma to medical institutions. Moreover, the incidence of severe, high-energy injuries that require more serious treatment approaches also increased, as evidenced by the annual increase in the number of surgical interventions in children with traumatic injuries. The new form of statistical reporting does not allow us to determine all causes of trauma. The provision of trauma care for children in St. Petersburg remains at an appropriate level.