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Examination of the transport characteristics of pediatric trauma patients
Ramiz Yazici1, Muhammed Güner1, Efe Demir Bala1
1Department of Emergency Medicine, İstanbul Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, İstanbul, Turkiye.
Insights
Pediatric trauma is a major public health issue. Falls and traffic accidents are the most common causes, highlighting the need for targeted prevention strategies and efficient emergency transport to reduce child mortality and morbidity.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Trauma Care
Background:
- Pediatric injury represents a significant global public health concern, contributing to substantial morbidity and mortality.
- Understanding the epidemiology of pediatric trauma is crucial for developing effective interventions and improving patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the demographic characteristics of pediatric trauma patients.
- To identify the primary reasons for hospital admission and specific diagnoses in pediatric trauma cases.
- To analyze data from prehospital emergency health services for pediatric trauma patients.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective observational study design was employed.
- Data were collected from the Emergency Health Automation System for pediatric patients (<18 years) treated between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2022.
- Information gathered included call reasons, ICD-10 codes, injury mechanisms, and transport details.
Main Results:
- Falls were the leading cause of pediatric trauma across all age groups, followed by traffic accidents.
- A significant proportion of patients (65.0%) requiring specialist transfer were due to fall-related injuries.
- Secondary transports were predominantly to training and research or state hospitals.
Conclusions:
- Preventive measures and community education should target age-specific trauma causes.
- Early identification of patients needing secondary transport can optimize care and reduce adverse outcomes.
- Streamlining transfers to appropriate facilities can improve trauma care for pediatric patients.
Background/Aim:
Injury is an important public health problem in the pediatric age group and one of the leading global causes of morbidity and mortality. The fact that pediatric trauma has a significant impact on patients, families, and countries shows the need for a better understanding of this phenomenon. This study investigates the demographic characteristics, reasons for admission to the hospital, and diagnoses of pediatric trauma patients who received prehospital emergency health services.
Materials And Methods:
This study was designed as a retrospective observational study and included all patients under the age of 18 who received emergency healthcare due to trauma and were registered in the Emergency Health Automation System after a call was placed to the emergency call center between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022. Information such as the reason for calling an ambulance, ICD-10 diagnosis codes, mechanism of injury, time of arrival at the scene, transport duration from the scene to the hospital, and reasons for interfacility transfers were collected for all patients.
Results:
A total of 37,420 patients were included in the analysis. Seventeen patients were found dead at the scene of the trauma and 35 patients experienced cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital from the scene. The difference between age groups in terms of time from arrival at the scene to arrival at the hospital was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Falls were the most common cause of trauma in all age groups, followed by traffic accidents. Patients requiring a specialist and transferred primarily for fall-related injuries were in direct proportion to the total number of cases (65.0%, n = 1838), followed by cases of traffic accidents and sports injuries. Most of the secondary transports were made to a training and research hospital or state hospital.
Conclusion:
Targeted preventive measures and community education should address the specific causes of trauma that are more prevalent in certain age groups. Early identification of special patient groups that typically require secondary transport can reduce mortality and morbidity related to trauma by facilitating direct transfers to appropriate hospitals.
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