TY - JOUR PY - 2019// TI - Mortality and morbidity of severe traumatic brain injuries; a pediatric intensive care unit experience over 15 years JO - Bulletin of emergency and trauma A1 - Hon, Kam Lun A1 - Huang, Siwei A1 - Poon, Wai Sang A1 - Cheung, Hon Ming A1 - Ip, Patrick A1 - Zee, Benny SP - 256 EP - 262 VL - 7 IS - 3 N2 - OBJECTIVE: To determine the mortality, morbidity, types of intracranial hemorrhages, and factors associated with length of stay (LOS) associated with accidental traumatic brain injury (TBI) at a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a regional trauma center in an Asian city.

METHODS: This study is a retrospective review of types of head injury, mortality and morbidity demographics of patients admitted to a PICU with TBI. All patients with accidental TBI were included, namely road traffic injury (RTI) and fall, and their demographics compared. Non-accidental injuries (NAI) were excluded.

RESULTS: 95 children (78% males) were admitted to a PICU with RTI or falls from 2002 to 2017. They accounted for 3.7% of PICU admissions. Comparing with falls, victims of RTI were older (p<0.001) and more likely to suffer from skull fracture (p=0.017). There were 4 deaths with falls (6.8%) but none with RTI. Subarachnoid hemorrhages, extradural hemorrhages, the use of mechanical ventilation, inotropes and neurological supports were associated with longer LOS in PICU in these injuries (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION: A longer PICU LOS is associated with extradural and subarachnoid hemorrhages, usage of inotropes, mechanical ventilation and neurological supports in falls and RTI. Three-quarters of victims are males. Preventive health education should be especially directed to boys to reduce severe TBI in this Asian city.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 2322-2522 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.29252/beat-070308 ID - ref1 ER -