Background. Childhood injuries and accidents constitute an important health, social and economic problem. Serious injuries require surgical intervention and hospitalization. In other cases, patients leave hospital within several hours after diagnosis and non-operative treatment, and then they receive outpatient care. Despite a downward trend, injuries remain the

main cause of death among children and adolescents. Therefore, understanding their epidemiology, which would allow us to create prevention programs based on scientific evidence (evidence based medicine), is so important.

Objectives. The study’s objective was an attempt at analyzing childhood injuries treated in outpatient clinics.

Material and methods. The study comprised 2182 children aged 0–18, including 692 females and 1490 males. Among them 1024 children treated surgically and 1158 outpatients. In the retrospective study the authors used a method of analysis of medical records of patients treated in 2012 at the Department of Child Surgery and Traumatology and Orthopaedics with the Operating Theatre in the Nicolaus Copernicus Province Hospital in Koszalin. The analysis was conducted on the basis of operative reports in the case of afflictions and injuries requiring surgery, and outpatient admissions reports in the case of outpatients.

Results. Among the outpatients, the biggest group of injuries (34.83% or 403) included bruises, cuts, lacerations etc. Regarding frequency, injuries of hand area – 14.35% (166) and arm fractures – 13.4% (159) followed.

Conclusions. 1. The age and gender of patients were factors determining injuries. 2. Seasons of the year have an influence on the structure of injuries among children. 3. It is necessary to increase social awareness on the prevention and negative effects of burns.