Epidemiological and risk predictors of severity of school injuries.

Accidents are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among schoolchildren. Epidemiological and risk predictors of injury severity were investigated among all school injuries presenting at the Students' Hospital in Alexandria during the scholastic year 1996-97. In all, 3422 injured pupils were surveyed. Age, nature of injury, place and mechanism of school injury and referral method were significant risk predictors for hospitalization. Age, referral method and nature of injury were significant predictors of referral to specialized health services. Injury severity score was significantly predicted by the presence of acute disease during time of injury, place and mechanism of injury as well as by provision of first aid and referral method and time.