Pediatric Trauma.

339 Does Shock Index, Pediatric Age-Adjusted Help Predict Mortality by Trauma Center Type?

Objective, To survey the pediatric trauma programs to ascertain if and how etomidate is being used for rapid sequence intubation (RSI) in pediatric trauma patients. Design, A 25 question survey was created using REDCaps. A link to the survey was emailed to each of the pediatric and adult trauma programs that care for pediatric patients. Setting, Pediatric trauma programs and adult trauma programs caring for pediatric patients. Intervention, None. Measurements and Main Results, A total of 16% of programs responded (40/247). The majority of the centers that responded are urban, academic, teaching Level 1 pediatric trauma centers that provide care for > 200 pediatric trauma patients annually. The trauma program directors were the most likely to respond to the survey (18/40). 33/38 respondents state they use etomidate in their RSI protocol but it is not used in all pediatric trauma patients. 26/38 respondents believe that etomidate is associated with adrenal suppression and 24/37 believe it exacerbates adrenal suppression in pediatric trauma patients yet 28 of 37 respondents do not believe it is clinically relevant. Conclusions, Based on the results of the survey, the use of etomidate in pediatric trauma patients is common among urban, academic, teaching, level 1 pediatric trauma centers. A prospective evaluation of etomidate use for RSI in pediatric trauma patients to evaluate is potential effects on adrenal suppression and hemodynamics is warranted.

Discharge from hospital against medical advice (AMA) carries a significant risk of readmission and has increased rates of morbidity and mortality. Little is known about the characteristics of pediatric trauma patients discharged AMA. We aimed to identify predictors for discharge AMA in pediatric trauma patients. A 3-year retrospective cohort analysis of the 2017-2019 American College of Surgeons (ACS) Trauma Quality Improvement Program was performed. All pediatric (younger than 18 years) trauma patients were included. Patients with missing data on hospital discharge disposition were excluded. Two groups were compared: those discharged AMA and those who were not. Bivariate analysis using χ 2 test was performed. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors for discharge AMA adjusting for age, sex, race, ethnicity, comorbidities, positive drug or alcohol screen, insurance status, injury severity, 4-hour packed red blood cells requirements, vitals, mechanisms of injury, and ACS Pediatric Trauma Center Verification Level. A total of 259,363 pediatric trauma patients were identified; 436 (0.2%) were discharged AMA. Patients discharged AMA were older (mean age, 13 vs. 10 years; p < 0.001) and were more likely to be males (70% vs. 65%, p < 0.001), Black (31% vs. 18%, p < 0.001), and uninsured; to have a penetrating mechanism of injury (17% vs. 9%, p < 0.001); to be a victim of an assault; and to be treated at a non-pediatric-ACS-verified trauma center. Patients discharged AMA were more likely to test positive for alcohol or illicit drugs at time of admission. They were also more likely to undergo an abuse investigation and to be reported to Child Protective Services. Discharge AMA is affected by different patient- and system-related factors. Understanding these factors could enable targeted interventions in clinical practice and policy. Our findings highlight the important role of pediatric trauma centers in addressing the needs of injured children. Therapeutic/Care Management; Level III.

Early hypocalcemia (EH) is common in adult major trauma patients and has been associated with coagulopathy, shock, increased transfusion requirements, and mortality. The incidence of EH in pediatric severe trauma has not been investigated. We aimed to explore the incidence of EH among severely injured children. We conducted a retrospective cohort study at a tertiary children's hospital and a level 1 pediatric trauma center. We extracted the medical records of all pediatric major trauma patients, defined as an age less than 18 years and an Injury Severity Score (ISS) greater than 15, admitted after trauma team activation from January 2010 to December 2020.The primary outcome was the presence of EH. Patients were classified into 3 groups: severe hypocalcemia (ionized calcium [iCa] <1 mmol/L), hypocalcemia (1 < iCa < 1.16 mmol/L), and normal calcium (iCa ≥1.16 mmol/L). During the study period, 5126 children were hospitalized because of trauma. One hundred eleven children met the inclusion criteria. The median age was 11 years (interquartile range [IQR], 4-15), and 78.4% (87) were male. The median ISS was 21 (IQR, 17-27).Hypocalcemia was found in 19.8% (22) and severe hypocalcemia in 2.7% (3) of the patients.Although not statistically significant, hypocalcemic pediatric trauma patients had higher ISS (25.5 [IQR, 17-29] vs 21 [IQR, 17-26], P = 0.39), lower Glasgow Coma Scale (11 [IQR, 3-15] vs 13 [IQR, 7-15], P = 0.24), a more prolonged hospital stay (8 days [IQR, 2-16] vs 6 days [IQR, 3-13], P = 0.36), a more frequent need for blood products (27.3% vs 20.2%, P = 0.74), and higher mortality rates (9.1% vs 1.1%, P = 0.18) compared with normocalcemic patients. Our data suggest that in the setting of major trauma, EH is less frequent in children than previously reported in adults. Our preliminary data suggest that pediatric patients with EH may be at risk of increased morbidity and mortality compared with children with normal admission iCa requiring further studies.

Vascular injury in pediatric trauma patients is uncommon but associated with a reported mortality greater than 19% in some series. The purpose of this study was to characterize pediatric major vascular injuries (MVIs) and analyze mortality at a high-volume combined adult and pediatric trauma center. A retrospective review (January 2000 to May 2016) was conducted of all pediatric (<18 years old) trauma patients who presented with a vascular injury. A total of 177 patients were identified, with 60 (34%) having an MVI, defined as injury in the neck, torso, or proximal extremity. Patients were then further analyzed based on location of injury, mechanism, age, and race. P ≤ 0.05 was deemed significant. Of the 60 patients with MVI, the mean age was 14.3 years (range, 4-17 years). Mean intensive care unit length of stay (LOS) was 5.4 days, and mean hospital LOS was 12.5 days. Blunt mechanism was more common in patients 14 years or younger; penetrating trauma was more common amongst patients older than 14 years. Overall, blunt injuries had a longer intensive care unit LOS compared with penetrating trauma (7.8 vs 3.1 days; P = 0.016). A total of 33% (n = 20) of MVIs occurred in the torso, with 50% (n = 10) of these from blunt trauma. Location of injury did correlate with mortality; 45% (n = 9) of torso MVIs resulted in death (penetrating n = 7, blunt n = 2). Overall mortality from an MVI was 15.3% (n = 9); all were torso MVIs. Higher Injury Severity Score and Glasgow Coma Scale score were found to be independently associated with mortality. Our experience demonstrates that MVIs are associated with a significant mortality (15.3%), with a majority of those resulting from gunshot wounds, more than 9-fold greater than the overall mortality of pediatric trauma patients at our institution (1.6%). Further research should be aimed at improving management strategies specific for MVIs in the pediatric trauma patient as gun violence continues to afflict youth in the United States.

To investigate the correlation between pediatric and adult trauma center status and radiology resident performance on pediatric trauma cases using the WIDI SIM exam. The WIDI SIM is a validated computer-aided simulation that assesses radiology residents' preparedness for independent call duty. It includes 65 cases across various imaging modalities derived from actual patient encounters. Faculty score free-text responses using a standardized 0-10 scale rubric. We analyzed 8,488 WIDI SIM exam scores from 35 pediatric trauma cases across 52 programs. A negative binomial regression model adjusting for resident level, imaging modality, and case specialty was employed to evaluate the impact of pediatric and adult trauma center status on resident performance. Both pediatric trauma center status (p = 0.0005) and adult trauma center status (p = 0.0003) were significant predictors of higher resident scores. Resident level was also significant, with higher-level residents performing better than first-year residents (p < 0.001). Residents performed worse on MR and US modalities compared to CT, and performance varied by case specialty. Radiology residents' pediatric trauma imaging skills are significantly linked to pediatric and adult trauma center status. Given most pediatric traumas occur outside pediatric trauma centers, targeted training strategies should be considered to ensure residents develop essential diagnostic skills.

Trauma evaluation in the emergency department (ED) can be a stressful event for children. With the goal of minimizing pain, anxiety, and unneeded interventions in stable patients, we implemented the Pediatric PAUSE at our level 1 adult/level 2 pediatric trauma center. The Pediatric PAUSE is a brief protocol performed after the primary survey, which addresses Pain/Privacy, Anxiety/IV Access, Urinary Catheter/Rectal exam/Genital exam, Support from family or staff, and Explain to patient/Engage with PICU team. The aim was to assess whether performing the PAUSE interfered with timeliness of emergent imaging in pediatric patients and their disposition. We identified all patients aged 0 to 18 years evaluated as trauma activations at our institution after the Pediatric PAUSE was implemented (October 1, 2016-March 31, 2017) as well as 2 analogous 6-month pre-PAUSE periods. Patient demographics, time to imaging studies, and time to ED disposition were analyzed. One hundred seventy-two patients met the study criteria, with a mean age of 10.9 years and mean injury severity score of 10.6. One hundred fifteen participants (68.5%) were transferred from other hospitals, and 101 (87.8%) had ≥1 imaging study performed before arrival. The Pediatric PAUSE was performed for 41 (25%) of 163 study participants. There was no difference in time to first imaging study in participants for whom the PAUSE was performed (18.4 vs 15.0 minutes, P = 0.09). The PAUSE is a practice intervention designed to address the psychosocial needs of pediatric trauma patients and their families to help prevent posttraumatic stress symptoms. Implementation did not interfere with the timeliness of first imaging in pediatric trauma patients.

Primary repair for pediatric colonic injury: Are there differences among adult and pediatric trauma centers?

To compare radiation doses used for pediatric computed tomography (CT) scans at community-based referring facilities (RF) to those at a designated pediatric trauma center (PTC) to assess the consistency of radiation exposure. In this retrospective study, patients 0 to 18 years of age with CT imaging performed either at a RF or at a PTC from January 1, 2015, to January 5, 2016, were identified. Data about patients, CT radiation dose, and characteristics of the RFs were compared. We identified 502 patients (156 RF, 346 PTC) with 281 head CTs (79 RF, 202 PTC) and 86 abdominal/pelvis CTs (28 RF, 58 PTC). The radiation dose (measured in mean dose-length product [DLP] ± 1 standard deviation) was significantly higher for RF scans compared with PTC scans (head, RF DLP = 545 ± 334 vs PTC DLP = 438 ± 186 (P < 0.001); abdomen/pelvis, RF DLP = 279 ± 160 vs PTC DLP = 181 ± 201 [P = 0.027]). There was a nonsignificant trend toward lower head CT radiation dosages at RFs with a dedicated pediatric emergency department compared with RFs without a pediatric emergency department. Our data suggest that CT scans performed at RFs expose pediatric patients to significantly higher doses of radiation when compared with a PTC. These data support further study to identify factors associated with increased radiation and educational outreach to RFs.

Care in a pediatric (vs adult) trauma center improves outcomes for injured children aged 0 to 12 years, but whether pediatric care benefits injured adolescents is unclear. To evaluate the association of pediatric vs adult trauma center care with mortality among severely injured adolescents. This retrospective cohort study was conducted between April 1, 2012, and March 31, 2020, among adolescents aged 12 to 16 years who were admitted to level I or level II adult trauma centers or a level I pediatric trauma center in British Columbia, Canada. Analysis was conducted between January and September 2024. Admission to a level I pediatric trauma center or level I or level II adult trauma center. The primary outcome was hospital mortality for the index trauma incident. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to estimate the association of admission to a pediatric trauma center with mortality. A total of 416 patients aged 12 to 16 years (median [IQR] age, 15 [13-16] years; 308 male [74.0%]) were admitted to a level I or level II trauma center with severe injury (201 [48.6%] at a pediatric trauma center; 83 [20.0%] at a level I adult trauma center; and 132 [31.7%] at a level II adult trauma center). Patients admitted to the pediatric trauma center (vs level I or level II adult centers) had lower median (IQR) age (14 [13-15] years vs 15 [14-16] years), higher median (IQR) Injury Severity Score (16 [9-21] vs 13 [9-18]) and fewer penetrating injuries (10 injuries [5.0%] vs 28 injuries [13.0%]). Hospital mortality was 7.0% (14 of 201 patients) among patients admitted to the pediatric center vs 4.2% (9 of 215 patients) among those admitted to an adult trauma center. There was no statistically significant difference in hospital mortality between patients admitted to pediatric vs adult trauma centers (adjusted odds ratio, 2.61; 95% CI, 0.88-7.69; P = .08). In this cohort study of severely injured adolescents, pediatric trauma center admission was not associated with improved hospital mortality. These findings suggest that severely injured adolescents aged 12 to 16 years may be safely treated at either adult or pediatric trauma centers.

Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) provide an important service to decrease interfacility transport times compared with ground ambulances. Although transport via HEMS is typically faster, the decreased transportation time comes at the expense of increased risks to the patient and flight crew and higher costs. Therefore, it is important to balance the immediate patient needs with the risk and expense of HEMS transport. Our objective was to determine how frequently pediatric patients who are interfacility transported to a Level 1 pediatric trauma center (PTC) receive a time-sensitive intervention. This was a 4-year (2008-2012) retrospective study of children aged 0 year to 18 years who were interfacility transported to a single Level 1 PTC by HEMS. Patients were identified using the trauma registry at the PTC. A previously published outcome was used to determine if patients received time-sensitive interventions. Driving distance to the PTC was determined using Google Maps. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A total of 207 cases were identified (median age, 7 years; interquartile range, 2-12 years; 29% female; median Injury Severity Score [ISS], 11; median Revised Trauma Score [RTS], 8). Forty-three percent (90 patients; 95% confidence interval, 37-50%) of patients received a time-sensitive intervention; these cases had a median age of 6 years (interquartile range, 2-11 years; 32% female; median ISS, 13; median RTS, 8). Of the 117 patients who did not receive time-sensitive interventions, 81% were within 120 driving miles of the PTC and 49% were within 60 miles. This study suggests an overuse of HEMS for interfacility transfer of injured pediatric patients to a PTC. Although these patients likely required the resources of a PTC, they could perhaps have been transported by ground ambulance without detriment. Further research is needed to investigate how interfacility transport modes are selected and if these decisions can be improved without increasing evaluation times at transferring facilities. Epidemiologic study, level V.

Background The effects of trauma do not end after resuscitation. The Screening Tool for Early Predictors of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (STEPP) is validated for pediatric trauma victims and their parents. This would help identifying children and caregivers at risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and highlight mechanisms of trauma that increase risk. Methods A retrospective review of 142 children and parents admitted to a Level I pediatric trauma center was completed. Variables of age, gender, injury severity score, and mechanism of injury were compared by Student’s t test for normally distributed independent samples and chi-square for categorical variables. A p value of <.05 was considered significant. Results Over 80% of eligible trauma patients and parents underwent a STEPP evaluation. More than 30% (n = 43) were positive. Positive pediatric evaluations were likely to be female; however, age and injury severity score between the two groups were not statistically significant. Although not statically significant, parental STEPP examinations were more likely to be positive than the screen of the injured child, which might have clinical significance. Pediatric STEPP evaluations were mostly positive after motor vehicle crashes and animal bites. Conclusion The STEPP evaluation on pediatric trauma patients and parents is a valuable tool to screen for risk of PTSD. Certain mechanisms of injury resulted in higher rates of positive STEPP evaluations, yet limiting screening based on mechanisms of injury, age, or gender could result in delayed identification of PTSD risk. Screening parents is a key component of the STEPP evaluation, especially when there is discordance between the two.

Pelvic fractures comprise a small number of annual Level I pediatric trauma center admissions. This is a review of the University of Chicago Level I Pediatric Trauma Center experience with pediatric pelvic fractures. This is a retrospective review of the University of Chicago Level I Pediatric Trauma Center experience with pediatric pelvic fractures during the 12-year period from 1992 to 2004. From 1992 to 2004, there were 2850 pediatric trauma admissions. Thirteen patients were identified with pelvic fractures; seven were boys and six were girls. The average age was 8 years old. The mechanism of injury in all cases was motor vehicle related; 11 patients (87%) sustained pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes. According to the Torode and Zeig classification system, type III fractures occurred in eight patients (62%) and type IV fractures occurred in six patients (31%). Associated injuries occurred in eight patients (62%). Seven of these patients (88%) had associated injuries involving two or more organ systems. Of the associated injuries, additional orthopedic injuries were the most common, occurring in 62 per cent of our patients. Neurological injuries occurred in 54 per cent of patients, vascular injuries in 39 per cent, pulmonary injuries in 31 per cent, and genitourinary injuries in 15 per cent. Five patients (38%) were treated operatively; only two patients underwent operative management directly related to their pelvic fracture. The remaining three patients underwent operative management of associated injuries. The mortality rate was 0 per cent. Although pelvic fractures are an uncommon injury in pediatric trauma patients, the morbidity associated with these injuries can be profound. The majority of pelvic fractures in children are treated nonoperatively, however, more than one-half of these patients have concomitant injuries requiring operative management. When evaluating and treating pediatric pelvic fractures, a systematic multidisciplinary approach must be taken to evaluate and prioritize the pelvic fracture and the associated injuries.

Rethinking pediatric trauma triage

Error traps and culture of safety in pediatric trauma