Tourniquet Syndrome: Importance of Systematic Analysis of Families' Social Conditions to Detect Neglect Situations

Between 2003 and 2007, a study at the Pediatric Emergency Department in Toulouse, France, observed 41 children with tourniquet syndrome (TS), where appendages are constricted by hairs or threads. The children had a mean age of 5.5 months, with 68% under 5 months old, and 93% of cases involved toes. The study found that 95% of the constrictive agents were hairs and incidents mostly occurred on Sundays. Social inquiries indicated that 51% of the families had incomplete medical social coverage, and 43% were known to child protective services. A follow-up on children admitted from 2003 to 2006 showed that one-third had domestic accidents within 13 months post-admission. The study recommended systematic social worker intervention in TS cases to detect potential neglect.