Epidemiological Comparison between Two Decades of Pediatric Head Injury Hospitalization in Turkey in 2000-2010 and...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Traumatology
• Epidemiology
• Neurotrauma

Background:

• Pediatric head injuries represent a significant public health concern.
• Understanding temporal trends in pediatric head trauma is crucial for public health interventions and clinical practice.
• Previous epidemiological data may not reflect current patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and compare epidemiological trends of pediatric head injuries over two distinct decades (2000-2010 vs. 2011-2020).
• To identify changes in patient demographics, trauma mechanisms, and injury types.
• To provide updated insights into pediatric head trauma patterns.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of medical records of pediatric patients hospitalized for head injuries between 2000 and 2020.
• Evaluation of patient data including age, sex, trauma mechanism, associated injuries, radiological findings, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and Rankin scores.
• Comparison of epidemiological characteristics between two 10-year periods.

Main Results:

• Significant differences observed in patient age distribution between the two decades (p < 0.001).
• Increased admission rates for preschool-aged children in the second decade, contrasted with higher rates for school-aged children and adolescents in the first decade.
• Higher incidence of traffic accident-related head trauma in the first decade, and a significant increase in linear fractures in the second decade (29.90% vs. 55.60%).
• Decreased incidence of epidural hemorrhage in the second decade (18.50% vs. 7.90%).

Conclusions:

• Epidemiological patterns of pediatric head trauma have evolved over the past two decades.
• Classical understandings of pediatric head injury epidemiology require updates.
• Further multicenter studies with larger patient cohorts are recommended to refine current knowledge.