Epidemiology and the economic burden of pediatric fractures in China:​ a retrospective study of 14,141 fractures

Song, Fei; Zeng, Yueping; Tian, Jian; Lv, Yaqi; Feng, Guoshuang; Ni, Xin

Affiliations

¹Department of Medical Record Management Office, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children’s Health, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Beihang University & Capital Medical University, 10045, China

²Hospital Administration Office, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children’s Health, Beijing 100045, China

³Big Data and Engineering Research Center, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children’s Health, Beijing 100045, China

⁴Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Surgery, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children’s Health, Beijing 100045, China

⁵Medical Record Department, Dalian Children’s Hospital, Dalian, China

⁶Information Department, Dalian Children’s Hospital, Dalian, China

⁷Medical Record Department, Gansu Provincial Maternity and Child-care Hospital, Lanzhou, China

⁸Medical Record Department, Guiyang Children’s Hospital, Guiyang, China

⁹Information Center, Guiyang Children’s Hospital, Guiyang, China

¹⁰Information Department, Hangzhou Children’s Hospital, Hangzhou, China

¹¹Information Center, Hunan Children’s Hospital, Hangzhou, China

¹²Medical Record Department, Inner Mongolia Children’s Hospital, Hohhot, China

¹³Information Department, Inner Mongolia Children’s Hospital, Hohhot, China

¹⁴Medical Record Department, Jinan Children’s Hospital, Jinan, China

¹⁵Information Department, Jinan Children’s Hospital, Jinan, China

¹⁶Medical Record Department, Kunming Children’s Hospital, Kunming, China

¹⁷Information Department, Kunming Children’s Hospital, Kunming, China

¹⁸Medical Record Department, Liaocheng Children’s Hospital, Liaocheng, China

¹⁹Information Department, Liaocheng Children’s Hospital, Liaocheng, China

²⁰Medical Record Department, Liuzhou Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Liuzhou, China

²¹Information Department, Liuzhou Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Liuzhou, China

²²Medical Record Department, Nanjing Children’s Hospital, Nanjing, China

²³Information Department, Nanjing Children’s Hospital, Nanjing, China

²⁴Medical Record Department, Qinghai Children’s Hospital, Xining, China

²⁵Information Department, Qinghai Children’s Hospital, Xining, China

²⁶Department of Quality Control, Qinghai Children’s Hospital, Xining, China

²⁷Medical Record Department, Shanxi Children’s Hospital, Taiyuan, China

²⁸Information Center, Shanxi Children’s Hospital, Taiyuan, China

²⁹Medical Record Department, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China

³⁰Information Department, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China

³¹Medical Record Department, Urumqi Children’s Hospital, Urumqi, China

³²Medical Record Department, Wuhan Children’s Hospital, Wuhan, China

³³Information Center, Wuhan Children’s Hospital, Wuhan, China

³⁴Medical Record Department, Anhui Children’s Hospital, Hefei, China

³⁵Information Center, Anhui Children’s Hospital, Hefei, China

Abstract and keywords

Background: Previous studies have explored the epidemiology of fractures in children, however, differences in incidence over time and between countries and regions was noted. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the epidemiology and the economic burden of pediatric inpatients with fractures in China.

Methods: A total of 14,141 pediatric inpatients (≤18 years of age) with fractures were included in the present study. Information on the clinical characteristics of each patient were obtained from the home page of their medical records. Pediatric inpatients with fractures were defined as patients that were 18 years of age or younger, and were primarily diagnosed as having a fracture. One-way ANOVA was used to assess differences in the economic burden of the treatment of the fractures.

Results: Pediatric fractures accounted for 32.6% of all injures children recorded in the medical records. Fractures were more common among boys than among girls. The majority of fractures occurred in children that were 6–12 years old. The most common fracture sites were the shoulders and upper arms (44.6%), followed by the elbow and forearm (21.23%). The leading cause of fractures were falling down (61.3%). The majority of fractures occurred in summer (30.3%). The cost of hospitalization increased with the age of the inpatients. Furthermore, fractures of the long bones of the extremities, and fractures caused by traffic accidents, usually incurred higher hospitalization costs. The cost of materials and treatment of the fractures were the key factor affecting the cost of hospitalization.

Conclusion: The occurrence of pediatric fractures is affected by age, gender, reason, season and fracture sites. Appropriate precautions should be taken to reduce the incidence of fractures in children.

Keywords: Pediatric fracture; Epidemiology; Economic burden

Links

DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2020.115498

PubMed: 32592949

WoS: 000615747700014

History

Received: 2020-03-16

Revised: 2020-06-19

Accepted: 2020-06-19

Online: 2020-06-24