CHILD ACCIDENTS ATTENDED IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS OF PEDIATRIC REFERENCE

INTRODUÇÂO Brazil is one of the nations that has stood out for significantly reducing infant mortality (up to 1 year old) and childhood mortality (up to 5 years old). [...]the late 1990s, Brazil faced the challenge of reducing the number of deaths of children under 5 years of age. Child accidents are closely related to several factors, such as family behavior; social network; lifestyle; educational, economic, social and cultural factors; and specific phases related to continuous learning.5 Data on deaths and hospitalizations from the Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde (DATASUS) [Information Technology Department of the Brazilian Unified Health System] show that accidents were responsible for 3,733 deaths in 2016 and more than 110,000 hospitalizations in 2017 of people from 0 to 14 years old. [...]approximately R$ 74 million were spent this year due to child accidents, which characterizes them as a serious public health problem.6 In 2014, the main causes of hospitalization were falls (47%), burns (16%) and animal bites (12%); other accidents, such as effects of nature, falling objects, aftereffects of other accidents, explosions, and contact with tools and other sharp objects, represent 21% of the hospitalizations, which is worrying.7 In 2011, a study carried out in the capital of Maranhço State, Brazil, showed that out of 166 children were admitted to hospital emergency rooms due to falls, which accounted for 55.4% of the hospitalizations, followed by transport accidents, which accounted for 21.1%. [...]health care workers are responsible for guiding, supervising, and educating families. Data collection was carried out in the emergency room or within the first 24 h of hospitalization with the parents or legal guardians of the children after they provided written informed consent. [...]the absolute and relative frequencies of the characteristics of child accidents were obtained.