Abstract
Objects: Cases of death and severe residual disability among children and students under school supervision in Japan, as a result of sudden cardiopulmonary arrest, accident, illness, and other causes, occurring under unforeseeable circumstances, have been analyzed with data on injury insurance payments by the National Agency for the Advancement of Sports and Health. Based on the analytic findings, an evaluation was conducted on the first-aid training programs to be implemented for schoolteachers who are non-specialists in the area of medical care.
Method: (1) Of the approximately 89.13 million students and children subscribed to the injury insurance program from the fiscal years 2004 to 2008, cases of death and residual disability were examined and the causes and types of disability analyzed. (2) Because of the absence of relevant information in the latest database, children and students subscribed to the said injury insurance program between 1994 and 1996 and who died as a result of cardiogenic causes or acute stroke have been studied for the presence of underlying medical conditions and other factors.
Results: (1) During the years 2004 through 2008, there were 645 deaths, 157 (24%) of which were the result of cardiac arrest; cases with some chance of survival having been saved with first aid. Of these, a high ratio of the deaths (126 or 80%) were“seen by bystanders”. Deaths as a result of choking due to aspiration, which may be prevented with first-aid care, numbered 12 (1.9%). Of these, 6 (50%) were handicapped children/students and 4 (33%) were infants and children age 2 and younger. There were 2,435 cases of severe residual disability, 2,365 (97%) of which were the result of traumatic injury. Of these, 1,100 (45%) incurred the injury during physical education class. (2) There were 247 deaths as a result of cardiogenic causes and acute stroke during the years 1994 through 1996; the majority of these (134 or 54%) were children who had underlying medical conditions.
Conclusion: The findings in the present study suggest the need of first-aid training for schoolteachers who are non-specialists in medical care, not only for cases that require cardiopulmonary resuscitation but also for cases that involve traumatic injury that may lead to injury and death.
