Citation

Melo JR, Di Rocco F, Lemos-Júnior LP, Roujeau T, Thelot B, Sainte-Rose C, Meyer P, Zerah M. Childs Nerv. Syst. 2009; 25(9): 1077-1083.

Affiliation

Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades (Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris-France), Université Descartes Paris 5, Paris, France, robertotude@gmail.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00381-009-0924-5

PMID

19551389

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study aims to describe the characteristics of severe head injuries in children less than 6 years old, victims of falls from windows, and identify the main predictive factors of mortality in this population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was designed through data derived from medical records of less than 6-year-old children victims of falls from windows presenting with a severe head injury defined by an initial Glasgow coma scale (GCS) /=20 mmHg (p = 0.03). Initial hypothermia, hyperglycemia, and coagulation disorders were the only independent predictive factors of mortality. CONCLUSION: Severe head injuries resulting from falls from windows carry a high risk of mortality in less than 6-year-old children. Hypothermia, hyperglycemia, and coagulation's disorders are independent predictive factors of mortality. Early deaths could be considered as direct consequences of uncontrollable brain lesions.

Language: en