ACCIDENTAL INJURIES AMONG CHILDREN IN NORTH-WEST ETHIOPIA

A retrospective analysis of admissions due to unintentional injuries i n children was conducted over a five year period (1988-1993) in a teac hing hospital in north-western Ethiopia. Injuries accounted for 341 (4 .8%) of 7055 admissions due to all causes in this period. Of 313 child ren whose data were analysed, 228 (63%) were male. The causes of injur y were firearms (25%), falls (22%), burns (16%) and motor vehicle acci dents (14%). Highest case fatality rates were found in foreign body as piration (40%), burns (35%) and falls (22%). Most children who present ed with burns had more than 15% body surface area affected on admissio n. Poisoning accounted for 6.8% of admissions and was mostly due to ma lathion. Animal related injuries accounted for less than 3% of the uni ntentional injury admissions. This is the first report on childhood in juries from the Gondar area.