Evaluation of the necessity of hospitalization in children with an isolated linear skull fracture (ISF).

Objective: The prevalence of skull fractures after mild head trauma is 2 % in children of all ages and 11 % in children younger than 2 years. The current standard management for a child diagnosed with an isolated skull fracture (ISF), in our institute, is hospitalization for a 24-h observation period. Based on data from the literature, less than 1 % of all minor head injuries require neurosurgical intervention.

[Pediatric injuries from mass casualty events in Israel: a ten-year summary].

Background: Children are the most vulnerable sub-population in mass casualty events (MCEs), however, characteristics of MCE related injuries among children have not been well described.

Aim: The aim of our study was to characterize childhood injuries resulting from MCEs in Israel including parameters such as magnitude, injury mechanism and severity and use of hospital resources.

Methods: We conducted a descriptive study of MCE related injuries among hospitalized children (0-17 years) between the years 1998-2007 and recorded in the Israel Trauma Registry (ITR).