Urban paediatric trauma due to stab wounds: an Israeli hospital experience

OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence and types of stab wounds to hospitalized children and adolescents. SUBJECTS: The sample consisted of patients, age 6-18 years, who were admitted to our hospital with sustained injury between 1991 and 2007. RESULTS: In total, 83 patients were admitted as a result of penetrating (n = 51) and superficial (n = 32) injuries. Eighty-two were hospitalized, and one was declared dead upon arrival. Only 11 patients were hospitalized during the 1991-2000 period, and 71 during the 2001-2007 period. Ten patients were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU); 23 patients were operated (hospital mortality = 0). Evacuation time (time from injury to hospital) was 10 min (mean time; maximum 35 min). CONCLUSION: This study found higher rates of hospitalization compared with those over a decade ago. These rates reflect not only changes in hospitalization trends and/or population growth in the hospital area but also an increase of urban violence. Israeli hospitalization system deals with paediatric trauma effectively, being well trained because of permanent terrorist activity.