Related Experiment Videos
Functional outcome in children with multiple trauma without significant head injury
M E Aitken1, K M Jaffe, C DiScala
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA.
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
|August 24, 1999
Summary
Many children experience functional dependence after trauma, even without head injuries. Lower extremity fractures significantly increase the risk of discharge with limitations, highlighting potential underuse of rehabilitation services.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric trauma research
- Functional outcome assessment
- Disability studies
Background:
- Assessing functional outcomes in pediatric trauma patients without significant head injury is crucial.
- Understanding disability at discharge provides insights into recovery and long-term needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the functional outcomes of children experiencing trauma without severe head injuries.
- To characterize the level of disability among these pediatric patients upon hospital discharge.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the National Pediatric Trauma Registry (1988-1994).
- Included were children aged 7-18 years with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 13-15 and no significant head trauma.
- Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores were used to assess outcomes at discharge.
Main Results:
- Over 13,000 children with more than 34,000 injuries were analyzed; fractures accounted for 30% of injuries.
- 11.2% of patients had mild disability and 14.5% had moderate disability at discharge, as measured by FIM.
- Children with lower extremity fractures were over 5 times more likely to have functional limitations at discharge. Less than 50% of those with moderate disability received rehabilitation referrals.
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of pediatric trauma patients without severe head injuries exhibit functional dependence at discharge.
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy services appear to be underutilized in this patient population.
- Further research is needed to determine the full extent and duration of disability in these children.