Citation

Singichetti B, Leonard JC, Janezic AR, Li H, Yi H, Yang J. J. Head Trauma Rehabil. 2018; 33(6): E30-E37.

Affiliation

Nationwide Children's Hospital, Center for Injury Research and Policy, Columbus, Ohio (Mss Singichetti and Janezic and Drs Leonard, Li, Yi, and Yang); The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus (Drs Leonard and Yang); Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China (Dr Li); and Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, China (Dr Yi).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/HTR.0000000000000397

PMID

30395043

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of state youth traumatic brain injury (TBI) legislation on pediatric emergency department (ED) utilization for sports and recreation-related mild TBIs (mTBIs). PARTICIPANTS: ED visits by children ages 5 to 18 years between 2006 and 2014 in the Pediatric Health Information System database (N = 452 900).

DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. MAIN MEASURES: Rates of ED visits, and injury comparison groups (mTBI, moderate to severe TBI, minor head injury, and long bone fracture).

RESULTS: Of the 452 900 ED visits, 123 192 (27.2%) were for mTBI, along with visits for moderate to severe TBIs (n = 5190), minor head injuries (n = 54 566), and long bone fractures (n = 269 952). ED visits for mTBIs were more common among males (67.5%), children ages 10-14 years (42.1%), and the privately insured (50.6%). The proportion of mTBI ED visits increased significantly, particularly from 5 years prelegislation to immediately postlegislation (57.8 to 94.8 mTBI visits per 10 000 ED visits). A similar trend was observed for minor head injuries; however, no significant changes were observed for moderate to severe TBIs and long bone fractures.

CONCLUSION: Pediatric ED utilization trends for the injury comparison groups differed from each other, and from pre- and post-TBI legislation. Further research assessing effects of TBI legislation on healthcare utilization is warranted.

Language: en