The screening pelvic radiograph in pediatric trauma

Background. Pelvic radiographs are routinely obtained in adult trauma to optimise early management. In adults, pelvic fractures are associated with high early transfusion requirement, high injury severity scores and an increased incidence of other abdominal and thoracic injuries. It is unclear whether this holds true in children. Objective. To determine whether the screening pelvic radiograph is necessary in paediatric trauma. Materials and methods. The notes of all patients who presented after trauma to the Starship Children's Hospital and were triaged to the resuscitation room during 1997 were reviewed. Results of initial radiography were obtained and correlated with later imaging. Results. Our review of 444 injured children seen over a period of 1 year revealed that of 347 children who had screening pelvic radiographs, only 1 had a pelvic fracture. The fracture in this child was clinically apparent and required no specific treatment. Conclusions. The presence of a pelvic fracture is rare in injured children. By omitting screening pelvic radiographs there are potential benefits, including reduced radiation exposure to children and cost savings. Uninterpretable or abnormal clinical examination or haematuria requires further investigation, but routine screening for pelvic fracture is unnecessary. Received: 15 November 1999 Accepted: 10 October 2000     

The prehospital treatment of pediatric trauma.

Prehospital pediatric trauma care is an important part of the EMS system. Review of 458 pediatric ALS trauma responses over two years treated in an urban, tiered ALS system revealed a male predominance. Violence (gunshot, stab, or assault) accounted for 46% of injuries, followed by vehicular accidents (occupant or pedestrian), with 35%. Important ALS resuscitation interventions were commonly performed en route, with a high degree of success (IVs = 93%, intubation = 79%), and did not greatly prolong field times (9 min BLS vs 11.7 min ALS). ALS procedure success rates and field times reported here are lower than previously described. Benchmark standards for the prehospital care of pediatric trauma are proposed.     

The role of laparoscopy in pediatric trauma

Minimally invasive techniques have now become standard for the treatment of many surgical conditions in children. During the past decade, there has been increasing interest in the use of this technology for the management of injured children. Laparoscopy has become an important adjunct in the evaluation of both blunt and penetrating intra-abdominal trauma and frequently is both diagnostic and therapeutic. Laparoscopic techniques have been used to repair injuries involving the gastrointestinal tract, solid organs, and the diaphragm. These procedures have been performed successfully, and avoid the complications associated with formal laparotomy.     

Rethinking pediatric trauma triage

Despite advances in the delivery of trauma care, trauma remains the leading cause of death amongst the pediatric population within the United States and is one of the leading causes of death in children worldwide.  Accurately triaging pediatric trauma patients is essential to minimize preventable mortality without burdening the system by utilizing unnecessary resources.  This article will review the accuracy of current pediatric trauma triage practices and how it will evolve in the future including moving away from mechanism of injury towards physiologic scoring tools such as the pediatric age-adjust shock index, and intervention-based systems including. Need for Surgeon Presence and Need For Trauma Intervention. This paper will also present evidence regarding over-utilization of air transport for pediatric trauma patients and the associated unnecessary costs placed on the trauma system.     

Management of pediatric trauma

Injury is the number 1 killer of children in the United States. In 2004, injury accounted for 59.5% of all deaths in children younger than 18 years. The financial burden to society of children who survive childhood injury with disability continues to be enormous. The entire process of managing childhood injury is complex and varies by region. Only the comprehensive cooperation of a broadly diverse group of people will have a significant effect on improving the care and outcome of injured children. This statement has been endorsed by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Surgeons, American Pediatric Surgical Association, National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions, National Association of State EMS Officials, and Society of Critical Care Medicine.     

Diagnosing pediatric head trauma

The accurate diagnosis and successful management of pediatric abusive head trauma present pediatricians with many unique challenges. To overcome these challenges requires a high index of clinical suspicion; a willingness to report any suspicion of abuse; knowledge of the relevant medical literature; a direct, nonaccusatory, and supportive approach with parents; thorough history taking; meticulous physical examination; and most important, professional objectivity and integrity. Your patients deserve no less.     

Regionalized pediatric trauma systems

Over the last 30 years, trauma system development in the United States has evolved dramatically. Regionalized trauma care is generally believed to confer benefits to the injured, although evidence supporting such is scant. The advent of pediatric emergency medicine and emergency medical services for children has led to the development of coordinated systems of care for critically ill and injured children in many parts of the country. Incoporation of organized pediatric emergency and trauma care into regionalized trauma systems is the focus of this review. The history of regionalized trauma system development is discussed, and published evidence regarding efficacy is examined. Finally, optimal system components are summarized, and an example of a statewide pediatric trauma system is described.     

Minimizing pediatric healthcare-induced anxiety and trauma

Frequently, episodes of care such as preventive clinic visits, acute care, medical procedures, and hospitalization can be emotionally threatening and psychologically traumatizing for pediatric patients. Children are often subject to psychological trauma, demonstrated by anxiety, aggression, anger, and similar expressions of emotion, because they lack control of their environment. This sense of helplessness, coupled with fear and pain can cause children to feel powerless in healthcare settings. These emotional responses can delay important medical treatment, take more time to complete and can reduce patient satisfaction. Healthcare professionals are uniquely positioned to prevent healthcare-induced trauma and reduce healthcare-induced anxiety. This article introduces a new way to choice, agenda, resilience and emotion (CARE) for pediatric patients in the healthcare setting by implementing the four following treatment principles called the care process: (1) Choices: Offer power in a powerless environment; (2) Agenda: Let patients and families know what to expect and what is expected of them; (3) Resilience: Highlight strengths and reframe negatives; and (4) Emotional support: Recognize and normalize common fears and responses. Engaging the CARE principles helps patients and families feel empowered and mitigates, reduces, and may even ameliorate risk of anxiety and trauma responses.     

Vasopressin levels and pediatric head trauma

The syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone is associated with head trauma; however, there are no reports concerning vasopressin levels in pediatric patients with head trauma. Urine vasopressin in eight children (mean +/- SEM, age 7.5 +/- 1.6 years, range 1 to 15 years) was measured by radioimmunoassay during their hospitalization for head trauma. Urine vasopressin values for ten healthy children (mean age 5.4 +/- 1.3 years) and for eight children hospitalized for systemic antibiotic treatment of infections (age 5.9 +/- 1.8 years) also were obtained. Urine vasopressin, urine and serum sodium concentration and osmolality, urea nitrogen, creatinine, and fluid intake were measured within 24 hours of admission and daily for the following two days. For the first three days following head trauma, mean urine vasopressin levels in pediatric patients with head trauma were increased (P less than .05) compared with those of healthy children. Despite fluid restriction to 85% of maintenance level, 25% of patients with head trauma exhibited the clinical syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (hyponatremia, increased urinary sodium, diminished serum osmolality, and urine osmolality greater than serum osmolality). Urine osmolality greater than 800 mosm/kg was associated with markedly increased urine vasopressin levels (200 to 1,650 pg/mL); children with this finding may be at particular risk for the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of anti-diuretic hormone without restrictive water intake.     

儿童创伤生命支持培训课程的实践与思考

目的探讨儿童创伤生命支持(pediatric trauma life support,PTLS)培训课程对提高儿童创伤急救能力的作用。方法采用国际创伤生命支持学会的PTLS课程对从事儿童创伤急救的医护人员进行培训,培训分为理论课和实践课,注重于提高学员的现场判断能力和急救技能。结果培训后学员的理论测试成绩较培训前提高,合格率、优秀率也有提高,差异均有统计学意义(P0.01)。学员的技能考核和仿真模拟考核均达到合格,其中优秀率依次为,转运固定技能42.62%,初级、高级气道管理81.97%,休克判断和处理70.49%,仿真模拟考核72.13%。院内组的培训前理论成绩显著高于院前组(P0.01),培训后院内组仍高于院前组,差异有统计学意义(P0.01)。结论经PTLS培训后,学员的理论、实践和综合救治能力得到提高,团队合作精神得到加强。     

The synergistic relationship between a level I trauma center and a regional pediatric trauma center

A regional pediatric trauma center and a level I trauma center with pediatric commitment in the same city developed a synergistic relationship addressing all aspects of care for pediatric trauma patients. Although it is unlikely that this model could be used in its entirety by all similar institutions, the principles may prove helpful in creating guidelines and relationships. Categorization, optimal use of resources, timely transportation of seriously injured children to the appropriate facility, and maintaining urgent care capabilities of each institution to care for seriously injured children are imperative. The combined effort resulted in our level I trauma center being verified by the American College of Surgeons and designated by our state Health Department as meeting all the criteria for pediatric trauma care. This experience should encourage every pediatric trauma center located in a children's hospital to become a regional pediatric trauma center. The real benefit from the relationship is that injured children receive optimal care at both institutions.     

The history of pediatric heart and lung transplantation

As is the case with other forms of solid organ transplantation, success with heart and lung transplantation in the pediatric population was a natural extension of success with these procedures in adults. As a result, to review the history of pediatric heart and lung transplantation, one must by necessity review the landmarks in research and the events that gave way to successful heart and lung transplantation in adults.     

Invasive radiology for pediatric trauma

Interventional radiology has assumed an expanded role in the management of the pediatric trauma patient. Transcatheter endovascular embolization for the polytraumatized and bleeding patient has proven to be effective and potentially life saving. Nonvascular interventional techniques can be applied to the pediatric trauma patient with curative or temporizing effects. The minimally invasive nature and rapidity of these procedures allows their emergent use in both the unstable and stable pediatric trauma patient.     

Teamwork in pediatric trauma centers

Various models have been proposed for optimal care of children in the trauma centers of general hospitals. The authors discuss the determinants of successful pediatric trauma care. In-house trauma surgeons, a consensus protocol for the first 20 minutes of resuscitation, real-time involvement of radiologists as part of the trauma team, and professional respect are the basis of teamwork.     

Morel-Lavallee lesion in pediatric trauma

Morel-Lavallee lesions (MLL) are closed degloving injuries that have been rarely described in the pediatric literature. These internal degloving injuries can have serious complications and long-term morbidity. Early diagnosis and intervention is imperative. We present the case of a 20-month-old with MLL of the thigh.     

The importance of pediatric injury prevention to trauma care

Injury is currently the primary cause of death and disability in children. The field of injury consists of treatment and prevention. This article describes why prevention is the most important component of trauma care for the reduction of injury morbidity and mortality. The recognized prevention strategies are the “3 Es” of education, engineering, and enforcement. A comprehensive injury prevention program should include multiple strategies that have been shown to be effective in well-designed evaluations. The emergency medicine physician has a number of opportunities through clinical practice, education, and research to be effectively involved in injury prevention.     

Multiple trauma in pediatric patients

We analyzed the causes and diagnoses, the treatment, short and long-term outcome of a consecutive series of 70 pediatric polytrauma patients. From 1989 to 1996, 70 children (aged 10 months to 16 years, mean 7.4 years) presented with multiple trauma. A follow-up investigation was performed 4.2 years (mean) after the accident. Traffic accidents (68%) were the leading cause of injuries. Among all injuries (mean ISS 24.6 range 17–57), injuries of the head/neck area were most frequent (87%) followed by extremity fractures (76%) and 135 operations were performed on 55 children, mostly for fracture stabilisation. All multiple injured children survived. At discharge 25 children were still impaired (36% of 70). At follow-up 58 patients were revisited, 11 (19% of 58) presented with impairments, 8 of those (73% of 11) following severe head trauma. This study showed a 10% rate of late impairment due to the severity of the primary head trauma.     

The impact of pediatric trauma in the Amish community

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology of trauma in Amish children and to determine differences in treatment and outcome related to injury mechanism. STUDY DESIGN: In this retrospective review, data were collected on all Amish children with trauma requiring hospital admission. Demographic, interventional, and outcome data were collected. Categorical outcomes were compared by using chi-square, logistic regression, or Fisher exact test; continuous outcomes were compared with analysis of variance. RESULTS: A total of 135 trauma admissions were studied. There was a significant difference of proportion of injury by month (P < .01). The most common mechanisms of injury were falls (39%), buggy versus motor vehicle accidents (MVA; 16%), and animal injuries (14%). A total of 41% of patients required operative procedures, and 50% of subjects required intensive care. Animal injuries and buggy versus MVA were significantly associated with a requirement for surgery, increased length of stay, and increased severity (all P < .01). The overall mortality rate was 3%. There were significant associations between mechanism of injury and outcome scores (P < .05) and hospital charges (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The spectrum of traumatic injuries is unique among Amish children. These injuries contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality and impose a large monetary burden on the Amish community. Education may decrease the incidence of these events.     

Outcomes in pediatric trauma care

Variation in clinical practice patterns has attracted the attention of specialty organizations, payers, government health agencies, and the public. Such variation raises concerns about efficacy and cost relative to the care provided. Consequently, the establishment of national benchmarks has become an increasing priority in trauma care as well as elsewhere in the health sector. Comparing treatment of pediatric injury by hospital type or physician expertise has often created more controversy than conformity. Three key components that help define quality of care include infrastructure, process, and outcome. This report will highlight outcomes studies in pediatric trauma care, often comparing outcomes by physician and hospital expertise. We will discuss pediatric trauma mortality and outcomes in abdominal, closed head, and orthopedic injuries with an emphasis on functional outcomes. Much of the data are derived from large regional and national databases, which are increasingly available and useful in the analysis of specific aspects of our health care delivery system.