Introduction Research has shown that during the 2003 SARS pandemic, emergency department (ED) visits among the pediatric population decreased. We set out to investigate if this was also true for injury-related ED visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Using data from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP), we looked at 28 years of injury-related ED visits at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, a provincially designated Pediatric Trauma Centre. We compared data from a two-month period during the COVID-19 lockdown (16 March to 15 May) to the same period in previous years (1993–2019) to determine whether the 2020 decrease in ED visit numbers was unprecedented (i.e. a similar decrease had never occurred) for different age groups, nature of injuries, mechanisms and severity. Results The 2020 decrease was unprecedented across all age groups between 1993 and 2019. When compared with the 2015 to 2019 average, the decrease was smallest in children aged 2 to 5 years (a 35% decrease), and greatest in the group aged 12 to 17 years (83%). Motor vehicle collisions and sports-related injuries practically vanished during the COVID-19 lockdown. Surprisingly, more children aged 6 to 17 years presented with less urgent injuries during the COVID-19 lockdown than in previous years. Conclusion As was the case with SARS in 2003, COVID-19 acted as a deterrent for pediatric ED visits. The lockdown in particular had a profound impact on injury-related visits. The de-confinement period will be monitored to determine the impact in both the short and the long term.

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The objective of the present research was to compare the severity of playground-related injuries in backyards of home with those occurring in public settings. This case-control study used emergency-based surveillance data from Canada regarding children, 3-11 years old, who were injured after falling from playground equipment (PGE). Cases were those whose injuries occurred at home (backyards), and controls were those whose injuries occurred in parks, schools or daycare centres. Of the 39,730 subjects selected, 84% happened in public and 16% at home. Children falling from a home PGE had greater odds of severe injuries (OR=1.30; 95% CI 1.23 to 1.37) and fractures (OR=1.47; 95% CI 1.39 to 1.55) than those from public PGE. Children aged 3-5 years falling off slides at home, compared to slides in public settings, had the greatest odds of severe injuries (OR=1.72; 95% CI 1.41 to 2.09) and fractures (OR=2.17; 95% CI 1.79 to 2.64.) When setting up PGE at home, parents should be diligent in using proper landing surfaces, such as those found in public playgrounds.

SUMMARYIncreasing prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been reported in Canada. We report the results of a prospective surveillance of MRSA infections in Alberta over a consecutive 3-year period. A total of 8910 unique clinical MRSA isolates was analysed from July 2005 to June 2008. The incidence of MRSA infection increased over the study period and was highest in males, age group ⩾85 years, and the Calgary Area. CMRSA10 (USA300) and CMRSA2 (USA100/800) were the most common PFGE strain types, representing 53·0% and 27·9% of all isolates, respectively. Significant differences were noted between MRSA strains in the source of infection and antimicrobial susceptibility. The incidence of MRSA infection in Alberta has nearly doubled in the last 3 years; this is attributed to the emergence of CMRSA10 as the predominant strain.

he mass media may have both positive and negative effects on health and health care delivery. Health education campaigns delivered by the media influence the health of the population either by increasing knowledge, changing behaviour, or both. 1 In other contexts, the media in general and TV in particular have been shown to affect the psychological and physical wellbeing of children, especially with respect to obesity. 2,3 Media reporting of celebrities' health issues may also affect the public, but not always in predictable ways. On the one hand, when a famous person reveals they have a certain type of cancer, there is often an increase in demand for screening. 4-9 The same effect follows when celebrities are enlisted to promote screening for a particular disease. 8,9 On the other hand, reported suicides by public figures have been followed by copycat suicides, with one study reporting increases as high as 44%. 10-13 In Quebec, the suicide of Gaetan Girouard-a well-known television journalist-was followed by a similarly striking rise. 14 It is surprising, however, that there have been no published reports of a celebrity health event prompting visits to Emergency Rooms (ER) when the event is an injury. In light of this, we documented the apparent effect of the extensive news coverage of the death of actor Nathalie Richardson. Following her fatal head injury on a ski hill in Quebec, Google News found over 1,100 mentions in the international press over a two-month period (Google News: http://news.google.com). In Montreal alone, 47 articles appeared in the main newspapers, The Gazette, La Presse and Le Devoir. Consequently, we postulated that the media interest in this event was responsible for the large increase in ER visits to the Montreal Children's Hospital (MCH) during the following week. To examine this hypothesis, we plotted the number of visits before and after the event and tested whether the increase was statistically significant. A second hypothesis was that because the celebrity in this case appeared predominantly on English stage and screen, this would prompt more coverage by English than French media and thus result in a smaller increase in ER visits at the French children's hospital in Montreal than at the MCH. Our final hypothesis was that the media's interest would diminish with distance from Quebec, yielding less noteworthy increases in ER attendances at children's hospitals in other provinces. METHODS We used current data from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP). This is a computerized information system that collects and analyzes data on all injured children seen at all 10 paediatric hospitals in Canada. (The Program now also obtains similar data at 4 general hospitals.) 15 When a child presents to the ER of a participating hospital, the accompanying caregiver is asked to complete a brief questionnaire describing the circumstances surrounding the event and coordinators or medical staff provide information about the type of injury, nature, body part, and disposi...

Even though all types of contact are forbidden in ringette, our research showed that in minor leagues, a significant proportion of the injuries were caused by body contact. As with regular ice hockey, enforcing policies regarding contacts, use of proper equipment, good maintenance (ice conditions should be checked regularly), and proper skill training should help diminish these types of injuries.

Introduction Little is known about Canadian youth football injuries. The objectives of this study were (a) to contrast the injuries in Canadian and American football players aged 6 to 17 years and (b) compare the injuries sustained during organized football with those in nonorganized football. Methods Using a retrospective cohort design based on data from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program and the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System a comparison of injuries was made. Results Trends in injuries were comparable. Proportions and odds of injuries were similar, except for a few exceptions. In Canada, more girls were injured and fractures were more prevalent. Compared with nonorganized football, organized football players were older, involved more males, and suffered more traumatic brain injuries and injuries to their lower extremities. Conclusion Canadian and American youth football injuries were similar. The type of football, be it organized or nonorganized, has an impact on injuries.

Background Following a skiing-related head injury death of the actor Natasha Richardson, we noted a marked increase in injury-related visits to the Emergency Department (ED) of the Montreal Children's Hospital (MCH). We assumed these visits were driven by media coverage, which would be greater in Quebec than elsewhere in Canada. Methods Using data from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP), we compared visits to the MCH-ED for 10 weeks beginning in March. We also compared visits for the event week with the averages for the same week in the preceding 16 years. We noted the percent of MCH-ED visits that were for head injuries. Finally, we examined the same 10-week patterns for children's hospitals in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. Results We found a 60% increase at the MCH for the event week compared with the fi rst week of March and 66% increase compared to the 16-year average. We noted that for the event week 43.7% of injury visits were for head injuries compared with 28.8% (16-years average). There was, however, no change in ratio of severe head injuries. The increase in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver was 24%, 23% and 22% respectively over the fi rst week of March. Interpretation These data suggest that the media coverage of this celebrity death which involved a failure to seek medical attention, generated anxiety among parents, prompting them to bring children to the ED who might not otherwise have sought medical care.