%0 Journal Article
%T A 10-Year Retrospective Review of Playground-Associated Craniofacial Injuries in the Pediatric Patient Population.
%A Kolbow M
%A Quick JD
%A Powell LE
%A Wang Q
%A Nguyen MT
%A Barta RJ
%J Clin Pediatr (Phila)
%V 63
%N 5
%D 2024 Jun 24
%M 38142360
%F 1.701
%R 10.1177/00099228231219871
%X This retrospective study utilized the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database to identify pediatric emergency department (ED) patients with playground-associated craniofacial injuries between January 2012 and December 2021. A total of 25 414 patients were identified. The majority of injuries occurred in preschool and elementary school-age children (90.3%) and patients were more commonly boys (59.3%). Injuries most often involved the head/scalp (52.4%), face (30.4%), and mouth (11.9%). Infant (32.7%) and teen (40.0%) injuries most commonly involved swings, whereas preschool (23.1%) and elementary school (28.1%) injuries were mostly associated with slides and climbers, respectively. Most patients were treated in the ED and discharged to home (96.5%), a small portion required hospitalization (1.6%), and one death was reported. Although the majority of the injuries were relatively minor and resulted in same-day discharges, these injuries can result in serious physical harm, emotional stress, and unexpected financial burdens. Proper education and supervision regarding safe play is important to prevent these injuries.