Morbid pediatric trauma: Our experience in a tertiary care hospital
Keywords:
Morbid Trauma, Pediatric Trauma, Surgical Interventions, Pediatric abdominal trauma., OutcomeAbstract
Background: Injuries, though preventable, are still ranked among the top 10 causes of mortality in low-income countries. Pediatric trauma is one of the leading causes of prolonged morbidity and sometimes even mortality. Recently, we have seen many patients with trauma who needed surgical interventions in our hospital. This study highlights the spectrum, indications for surgical interventions, complications, and outcomes of pediatric trauma.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Pediatric Surgery Unit II of Children’s Hospital Lahore. The medical records of patients who needed admission for the management of trauma were reviewed for demographics, mode of injury, severity of injury, indications for intervention, complications, and outcomes. Approval from the IRB was obtained.
Results: During the study period, a total of 652 patients presented with trauma. Over 70% of the patients were boys. More than 85% of the patients suffered either road traffic accidents (41.9%) or falls (46.3%), while 4% had burns. More than 21% were critically ill at presentation, and 10 patients were deceased upon arrival. Forty percent of patients were managed conservatively, whereas 49% required major operations. Major interventions were performed mainly for head, hepatobiliary and pancreatic, gastrointestinal, thoracic, splenic, and renal injuries. Blood transfusions were given to 220 (33.7%) patients. Postoperatively, 19 patients required ventilatory support; 3 patients had wound infections, and 7 developed sepsis. Three patients needed repeat surgery. One hundred (15.3%) patients expired.
Conclusion: The prevalence and severity of pediatric trauma are alarming, with half of the patients requiring interventions. Road traffic accidents and falls are the most common causes of trauma. In our study, every 6th child admitted with trauma did not survive. The community must implement child safety guidelines to ensure a safer environment for future generations.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Hassan Mahmud, Amna Qaiser, Umair Sohail, Mahboob Ahmad Bhutta (Author)
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