102.
Battered Child Syndrome, is there a suffient knowledge among
emergency room doctors?
Ann Buhl Bersang, Jenny Korsgaard Villadsen , Rikke Thorninger, Ole
Rahbek, Bjarne Møller-Madsen
Medicin Aarhus Universitet; Medicin, Aarhus Universitet; Ortopædkirurgisk
afdeling, Odense Universitets Hospital; Børneortopædisk afdeling, Aarhus
Universitets Hospital; Børneortopædisk afdeling, Aarhus Universitets Hospital
Background:
The incidens of Battered Child Syndrom,BCS is 16 times lower
in Denmark compared to USA and UK.(1,2,3) Femur fractures, corner
fractures and posterior costae fractures are some of the most common fractures
caused by child abuse.
Purpose / Aim of Study:
To determine the present knowledge about BCS
among doctors in the Emergency Room (ER).
Materials and Methods:
In the period from April to June 2012 nineteen
doctors from seven hospitals in Denmark with different educational
competences working in the ER, were asked 52 questions about their
knowledge with reference to BCS, and how they would act accordingly.
Findings / Results:
68 %
of participants related femur fractures in children
aged below eighteen months to BCS. For posterior costae fractures 65%
answered positively for children less than 2 years and 42 % for the group of
children below 5 years. Regarding corner fractures 25 % relate this fracture to
BCS for children below eighteen months.
Conclusions:
More than one third of the nineteen doctors did not know which
fractures to look for in the ER when suspecting BCS. Hence, it may be of
significant value to improve the knowledge in relation to BCS among the
medical staff in ER`s in Denmark in order to improve the treatment of children
suffering from BCS. Referencer: 1. Christoffersen, M.N. ”Børnemishandling i
hjemmet, delrapport 1”. SFI 2010. 2.CORR vol. 469, no. 3, pp. 790-797 3.
Barter et al, Millard and Flatley, ”Child abuse and neglect in the UK today”.
2010,
England and Wales.
