Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026
A Multi-Modal Approach to Assessing Recovery in Youth Athletes Following Concussion
Published on: September 25, 2014
Epidemiology of rural traumatic death in children: a population-based study
1Department of Surgery, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington 05405, USA.
Insights
Pediatric trauma deaths in a rural state were higher than national averages, particularly in older teens. Most child trauma fatalities occurred before hospital arrival, with head injuries being the leading cause.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Trauma Epidemiology
- Rural Health Outcomes
- Injury Prevention
Background:
- Traumatic death in children presents a significant public health challenge.
- Understanding the epidemiology of pediatric trauma in rural settings is crucial for targeted interventions.
- Previous studies often focus on urban populations, potentially overlooking unique rural challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the epidemiology of traumatic death in pediatric patients (< 19 years) in a rural state.
- To compare rural pediatric trauma mortality rates with urban data.
- To identify age-specific mortality trends and causes of death in rural pediatric trauma cases.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of all injury deaths in individuals < 19 years old between 1985 and 1990 in a rural state.
- Analysis of hospitalized trauma cases and mortality rates.
- Comparison with data from the National Pediatric Trauma Registry.
- Population-based analysis of autopsy and coroner reports to determine trauma-related deaths.
Main Results:
- Of 5,322 hospitalized trauma cases, 36 children died (0.67%), with head injury as the primary cause (72%).
- Rural hospitalized pediatric trauma mortality (0.67%) was lower than urban rates (2.7%).
- Population-based data revealed 283 trauma deaths (38.7% of 731 total child deaths), with 87% never reaching a hospital.
- Age-adjusted mortality rates exceeded national averages, highest in 15-18 year olds (68.5/100,000) and <1 year olds (26.8/100,000).
Conclusions:
- While hospitalized pediatric trauma mortality in this rural state was lower than urban centers, overall population-based mortality rates were deceptively high.
- The majority of pediatric trauma deaths occurred pre-hospital, highlighting the need for improved emergency response and prevention strategies.
- Adolescents and very young children faced the highest risk of fatal trauma in this rural population, exceeding national averages.
Abstract:
To determine the epidemiology of traumatic death in pediatric patients in a rural state, we reviewed all deaths caused by injury in victims < 19 years old between 1985 and 1990. We hypothesized that mortality would be higher than equivalent populations in urban areas. During the study period, 5,322 children were hospitalized for trauma (14% of total admissions for children in the state) and 36 died (0.67%). For this subgroup, head injury was the most common cause of death (72%). When compared with data from the National Pediatric Trauma Registry from urban centers, the mortality rate for hospitalized children in this rural state was lower (0.67% vs. 2.7%, p < 0.001). On review of the population-based statistics for the entire state, we found that these numbers were deceivingly low. In all, 731 children died during the study period, of which 283 were determined by autopsy or coroner's report to have died of trauma (38.7%). Eighty-seven percent of children who died never reached the hospital. Mortality (age-adjusted) was highest in the 15- to 18-year-olds (68.5 of 100,000), then < 1-year-old (26.8 of 100,000), 1- to 5-year-olds (15.6 of 100,000), and 5- to 14-year-olds (11.8 of 100,000), which significantly exceeds the predicted national averages for these age groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
