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Pediatric trauma at a general hospital in Cali, Colombia
Daniela Cleves1, Catalina Gómez2, Diana María Dávalos3
1Center for Clinical Research, Fundación Valle del Lili (FVL), Cra 98 #18-49, Cali 760032, Colombia.
Insights
Pediatric trauma, primarily blunt injuries from falls and road traffic accidents, significantly impacts child health. Understanding these injury patterns is crucial for developing effective trauma response and prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Trauma Care
- Injury Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Trauma is a leading cause of death and disability in children.
- Blunt trauma, often resulting from falls and road traffic injuries (RTI), is the predominant mechanism.
- Understanding pediatric trauma epidemiology is vital for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of pediatric trauma patients.
- To identify common injury mechanisms and patient demographics.
- To inform the development of trauma response and prevention programs.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of institutional data from the Panamerican Society of Trauma Registry (STP-ITSDP).
- Inclusion of 581 pediatric trauma patients (age <18 years) hospitalized between 2012 and 2014.
- Assessment of trauma type, mechanism, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, and Injury Severity Score (ISS).
Main Results:
- Blunt trauma (68%) was most common, with falls (42.5%) as the leading mechanism.
- Median ages varied by trauma type: 14 years (penetrating trauma), 8 years (blunt trauma), and 5.5 years (other trauma).
- Mortality was 5.2%, with higher rates in penetrating trauma patients experiencing severe injury (low GCS, high ISS) in the ER.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric trauma poses a significant public health challenge in southwestern Colombia.
- The Fundación Valle de Lili (FVL) serves a large volume of pediatric trauma cases.
- Epidemiological insights are essential for enhancing trauma care and implementing preventative measures.
Background:
Trauma is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Blunt trauma is the most common type and falls and road traffic injuries (RTI) are the most frequent mechanisms.
Methods:
Secondary analysis of institutional data included within the Panamerican Society of Trauma Registry (STP-ITSDP). A total of 581 trauma patients younger than 18years, hospitalized between 2012 and 2014, were included.
Results:
Blunt trauma (BT) (68%) was the most common type, and falls (42.5%) the most common mechanism. Median age was: 14years for penetrating trauma (PT), 8years for BT, and 5.5years for other types of trauma (OT). Of all patients, 8.1% had a Glasgow score<8, 9% had a Glasgow score of 8-13 and 81.1% had a Glasgow score higher than 14. Death occurred in 5.2% of patients: 83.3% as inpatients and 16.7% during initial management in the emergency room (ER). Patients dying in the ER were mostly PT victims, with higher ISS and lower Glasgow scores.
Conclusions:
Trauma is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in our pediatric population. Fundación Valle de Lili (FVL), a referral hospital, receives a high number of trauma patients from southwestern Colombia. Detailed knowledge of epidemiological data will help us to develop rapid response strategies for patients with trauma and to develop prevention and promotion programs.
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