Paediatric head injury admissions over a 10-year period in a regional neurosurgical unit

• Published in: Scottish medical journal 2012-08, Vol.57 (3), p.152-156
• Main Authors: Phang, I, Mathieson, C, Sexton, I, Forsyth, S, Brown, J, George, E J St
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accidental Falls - mortality; Accidental Falls - statistics & numerical data; Accidents, Traffic - mortality; Accidents, Traffic - statistics & numerical data; Adolescent; Age Distribution; Alcoholic Intoxication - epidemiology; Brain Injuries - epidemiology; Brain Injuries - etiology; Brain Injuries - mortality; Child; Child, Preschool; Disabled Children - statistics & numerical data; Ethanol - blood; Female; Glasgow Coma Scale; Guidelines as Topic; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Injury Severity Score; Male; Patient Admission - statistics & numerical data; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Scotland - epidemiology; Sex Distribution; Time Factors; Violence - statistics & numerical data
• ISSN: 0036-9330; 2045-6441
• DOI: 10.1258/smj.2012.012021

Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability in childhood. A retrospective study of all paediatric head injuries admitted to the neurosurgical unit for the West of Scotland over a 10-year period was performed to assess the impact of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence head injury guidelines on the admission rate and to determine the associated risk factors, causes, severity and outcomes of these injuries. There were 564 admissions between 1998 and 2007. The median age at presentation was nine years and two months. There was no change in the admission rate, injury mechanism or severity of head injury admitted over the period studied. A relationship was observed between the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation Score and the incidence of head injury (P = 0.05). Alcohol was reported as a causative factor in only a small number of cases, and moderate to severe head injuries were more commonly identified as a result of road traffic accidents.