Television Tip-Over Related Head Injuries: A Particular Type of Child Neglect

摘要

AIM: To identify, report, and raise awareness of the risk factors for television (TV) tip-over.MATERIAL and METHODS: In total, 86 children who were brought to the emergency service and hospitalized at the neurosurgery clinic because of TV tip-over-related head trauma between August 2011 and August 2016 were included in the study.RESULTS: The 86 patients consisted of 47 males and 39 females. The mean age was 38.8 ± 19.5 (9-102) months. Low education level of the mother was a risk factor for this type of accident (p=0.009). In all the patients, injuries were caused by the tip-over of a cathode ray tube (CRT) TV. In 66 patients (77%), only the TV tipped over onto the child, whereas in 20 cases (23%), the TV tipped over with the TV stand. The TVs were not fixed to the stand or the wall in any of the homes. According to computerized tomography findings, 12 patients (13.9%) had intracranial hemorrhage and 19 patients (22%) had skull fractures. Five patients underwent neurosurgical intervention. Eighty-four patients (97.6%) were discharged with a GCS level of 15. One patient was discharged with a GCS level of 9/15 with a tracheostomy and nasogastric tube. One patient died.CONCLUSION: TV tip-over causes physical injury that may result in serious neurological damage and even death. It is becoming more common and may be prevented by taking simple precautions.