Turkish Archives of Pediatrics, published by Galenos Publishing Admissions to pediatric intensive care unit due to preventable injuries Address for Correspondence: Ali Ertuğ Arslanköylü MD, Mersin University Medical Faculty, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Intensive Care, Mersin, Turkey E-mail: aliertug@gmail.com Received: 01.16.2011 Accepted: 09.15.2011 Original Article Summary Aim: One of the major causes of the morbidity and mortality in chidhood is preventable injuries. In the present study, we aimed to analyze the admissions to pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) because of preventable injuries. Material and Method: Demographic characteristics, injury category, pediatric intensive care unit days, ventilation days and mortality of the patients admitted to the PICU of Mersin University Faculty of Medicine Hospital due to preventable injuries between July 2006 and December 2009 were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Out of 822 admissions 124 (15%) were due to preventable injuries. Among these subjects, 69 (55.6%) were male and 55 (44.3%) were female. Mean hospitalization time was 3.7 ± 3.1 days. 9.7% of the subjects were ventilated and the mortality rate was found to be 12.5%. The most common reason for admission was intoxication (64.6%) which was followed by trauma (17.7%) and the other reasons (burns, animal bites, near drowning and foreign body aspiration) (17.7%). Conclusions: Preventable injuries constitute an important part of PICU admissions. Increasing preventive measures against preventable injuries may reduce the morbidity and mortality rates during childhood. (Turk Arch Ped 2012; 47: 45-8) Key words: Pediatric intensive care, preventable injuries, intoxication, trauma DOI: 10.4274/tpa.456 Ali Ertuğ Arslanköylü, Mustafa Kömür*, Sercan Uysal*, Semra Erdoğan** Mersin University Medical Faculty, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Intensive Care, Mersin, Turkey * Mersin University Medical Faculty, Department of Pediatrics, Mersin, Turkey ** Mersin University Medical Faculty, Department of Biostatistics, Mersin, Turkey 45 Introduction Injuries constitute a significant part of childhood morbidities and mortalities. Although different results have been obtained on this subject, the most common reasons of injuries reported during childhood include traffic accidents, drowning in water, intoxications and burns (1,2). These injuries which are predictible and thus preventable are not only the leading reason of mortality and morbidity in children, but also cause health expenses which bring significant economical load (3,4). Especially when the patient has to be followed up in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), economic cost and emotional stress is increased. There are very few studies about patients followed up in PICU because of preventible injuries (5). In our country, no study about patients hospitalized in PICU because of injuries has been performed. Knowing the mortality and morbidity rates of childhood injuries in our country where the pediatric and adolescent population is large is significant in terms of institution and monitorization of prevention programs. In this study, it was aimed to retrospectively examine the patients hospitalized in PICU because of preventible injuries. Material and Methods The hospital records of patients who were hospitalized in PICU in Mersin University Medical Faculty Hospital between July 2006 and December 2009 were examined retrospectively. Approximatey more than 250 patients are addmitted each year to the Medical-Surgical PICU of our university hospital which is a tertiary healthcare center containing 7 beds and which serves a wide geographical region including mainly East Mediteranean region. Preventable injuries are determined according to the criteria defined by the American Pediatric Academy (6). Demographic characteristics (gender, age), reasons of admission, hospitalization times in the intensive care unit, ventilator requirement, status of discharge or referral to