Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

Department

Physical Therapy

First Advisor

Mark Romanick

Keywords

Adolescent; Athletic Injuries -- epidemiology; Child; Child, Preschool

Abstract

PROBLEM: The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the emergency room records from Altru Health System in Grand Forks, ND from 2011-2015 to find trends in pediatric injuries from the ages of 0-19. The justification for the study is to provide Grand Forks with information about the frequency and distribution of pediatric sports and recreational injuries. No injury surveillance system has been implemented to monitor youth injuries, but his study is a continuation of a previous 10-year study and the combining of the two time frames would result in a 15-year compilation of data. By using descriptive data from Altru Health System, the magnitude of the injury problem can be determined as well as the population affected, when and where injuries occur, and what the outcomes are. An understanding of the potential cause of injury is needed so that an educated approach can be taken when developing injury prevention strategies.

PROCEDURE/METHODS: A review of the literature will be completed using multiple research databases (DynaMed, PubMed, CINAHL, etc.) to formulate an idea of what types of injuries and by what mechanism the pediatric population is sustaining injuries. This information will guide the research process and allow the current literature to be compared and correlated with the research findings. The design of this study is a retrospective case series study in which emergency department records will be obtained from the Altru Hospital Emergency Room for injuries sustained during pediatric sports and recreational activities from January 1, 2011 - June 30, 2015 for children aged 0-19. Altru will provide access to the medical records and the documentation of the medical information will be done under Altru personnel.

RESULTS: It is anticipated that the completed project will be implemented in the care of current and future pediatric clients by finding measures of how to prevent sports and recreational injuries from occurring. The results of this project should give insight to healthcare professionals and to the community of Grand Forks, ND about the prevalence and type of injuries that are sustained in the pediatric population in this geographic area. The hope is that with the increased awareness about the incidence of pediatric sports and recreational injuries is that there are fewer injuries and more preventative measures to limit injuries sustained by children aged 0-19. This information can be shared with all healthcare professionals and the members of the community of Grand Forks, ND.

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