Major trauma with multiple injuries in Swedish children.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the demographics, mechanisms, pattern, and severity of injury, the prehospital and hospital care during the first 24 hours, and the outcome in the most severely injured children in a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Paediatric intensive care unit (PICU), Sweden. SUBJECTS: 45 children (0-16 years of age) with multiple injuries admitted to the PICU in Gothenburg from January 1990 to October 2000, inclusive. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Mortality within 30 days after injury. RESULTS: About 2/100000 children with multiple injuries were admitted to the PICU from the greater Gothenburg area each year from 1990-2000 inclusive. Injuries were more common in boys (n = 29, 64%). The mean age was 7 years (SD 5). Traffic related events (n = 29, 64%) and falls (n = 11, 24%) were the leading causes of injury. Thoracic and abdominal injuries were the most common (17% and 16% respectively). Three children died. CONCLUSION: Major trauma with multiple injuries is rare in Swedish children. When they are cared for at a centre with the necessary facilities and trained personnel they have a good chance of survival.