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Admission base deficit in pediatric trauma: a study using the National Trauma Data Bank
E H Kincaid1, M C Chang, R W Letton
1Department of General Surgery and Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA.
The Journal of Trauma
|August 9, 2001
Summary
Admission base deficit is a key indicator of injury severity and mortality risk in pediatric trauma patients. A base deficit less than -8 mEq/L signals potentially lethal injuries in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Trauma Care
- Critical Care Medicine
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Base deficit is a known indicator of physiologic derangement in adult trauma.
- Its predictive value in pediatric trauma has not been well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the ability of admission base deficit to predict injury severity and outcomes in pediatric trauma patients.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 515 pediatric patients (0-12 years) from the National Trauma Data Bank.
- Examined base deficit, age, and severe closed head injury in relation to mortality and injury severity indicators.
Main Results:
- Base deficit < -4 mEq/L and closed head injury predicted mortality.
- An admission base deficit of -8 mEq/L correlated with a 25% mortality probability.
- Base deficit correlated significantly with systolic blood pressure, Injury Severity Score, and Revised Trauma Score.
Conclusions:
- Admission base deficit effectively reflects injury severity and predicts mortality in pediatric trauma.
- A base deficit < -8 mEq/L in children warrants clinical alert for potentially lethal conditions or shock.
