Costs, mortality likelihood and outcomes of hospitalized US children with traumatic brain injuries
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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
Murine Model of Controlled Cortical Impact for the Induction of Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: August 16, 2019
Junxin Shi1, Huiyun Xiang, Krista Wheeler
1Center for Injury Research and Policy, Nationwide Children's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.
Insights
In 2006, over 58,900 US children were hospitalized for traumatic brain injuries (TBI), costing $2.56 billion. The Predictive Mortality Likelihood Level (PMLL) effectively assessed TBI severity and outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Traumatology
- Health Services Research
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant cause of childhood morbidity and mortality.
- Understanding hospitalization costs and discharge outcomes is crucial for resource allocation and patient care.
- The Predictive Mortality Likelihood Level (PMLL) is a proposed measure for assessing TBI severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze hospitalization costs and discharge outcomes for US children with TBI.
- To evaluate the utility of the PMLL as a severity measure in pediatric TBI.
- To identify factors associated with TBI severity and outcomes in children.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 2006 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Database (KID).
- Included US children aged 20 years or younger with TBI-associated hospitalizations.
- Calculated TBI causes (motor vehicle crashes, falls), PMLL, in-hospital mortality, and discharge disposition; examined associations with charges and outcomes.
Main Results:
- An estimated 58,900 pediatric TBI hospitalizations occurred in 2006, incurring $2.56 billion in charges.
- Motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) and falls accounted for 38.9% and 21.2% of TBI hospitalizations, respectively.
- The PMLL strongly correlated with TBI type, length of stay, hospital charges, and discharge disposition; 4% died in-hospital and 9% were discharged to long-term facilities.
Conclusions:
- The PMLL shows promise as a tool for characterizing hospitalized pediatric TBI patients and their outcomes.
- Further research is warranted to validate and refine the PMLL for clinical and research applications.
- Findings highlight the substantial burden of pediatric TBI and the importance of severity assessment.
Primary Objective:
To examine the hospitalization costs and discharge outcomes of US children with TBI and to evaluate a severity measure, the predictive mortality likelihood level.
Research Design:
Data from the 2006 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) were used to report the national estimates and characteristics of TBI-associated hospitalizations among US children < or =20 years of age. The percentage of children with TBI caused by motor vehicle crashes (MVC) and falls was calculated according to the predictive mortality likelihood levels (PMLL), death in hospital and discharge into long-term rehabilitation facilities. Associations with the PMLL, discharge outcomes and average hospital charges were examined.
Results:
In 2006, there were an estimated 58 900 TBI-associated hospitalizations among US children, accounting for $2.56 billion in hospital charges. MVCs caused 38.9% and falls caused 21.2% of TBI hospitalizations. The PMLL was strongly associated with TBI type, length of hospital stay, hospital charges and discharge disposition. About 4% of children with fall or MVC related TBIs died in hospital and 9% were discharged into long-term facilities.
Conclusion:
The PMLL may provide a useful tool to assess characteristics and treatment outcomes of hospitalized TBI children, but more research is still needed.
