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

Özet

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 neurosurgeryclinic 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 educationlevel 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 acathode ray tube (CRT) TV. In 66 patients (77%), only the TV tipped over onto the child, whereas in 20 cases (23%), the TV tippedover with the TV stand. The TVs were not fixed to the stand or the wall in any of the homes. According to computerized tomographyfindings, 12 patients (13.9%) had intracranial hemorrhage and 19 patients (22%) had skull fractures. Five patients underwentneurosurgical intervention. Eighty-four patients (97.6%) were discharged with a GCS level of 15. One patient was discharged with aGCS 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 becomingmore common and may be prevented by taking simple precautions.