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TRAUMA
Yana Puckett, MD
Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center
Grand Rounds
OBJECTIVES
• Epidemiology
• Pathophysiology
• Management
• CT Head Indications
• Abusive Head Trauma
EPIDEMIOLOGY
• 650,000 to 1 million children evaluated for head
trauma per year
-80-90% are mild
• Most common cause of death and disability in
childhood in developed countries.
• ½ deaths caused by head injury occur before
patient reaches hospital
• Of all trauma deaths, 25% are caused by head
injury
CAUSES OF TBI IN
CHILDREN
Infants: Abuse
Toddlers: Abuse and Falls
School-aged: Injuries (play and sports) and
MVCs
Adolescents: MVCs and assault
• Head-to-toe examination
• Injuries
• Pneumo- or hemo-thorax
• Intra-abdominal organ injury
• Pelvic fracture
• Actively bleeding wound
• GCS
• Pupillary Size
• Active bleeding scalp wound
PHYSICAL EXAM
TO CT OR NOT CT?
Lethal malignancies occur between 1 in 500 to 1 in 1000
pediatric head CT scans. Risk increases with decreasing age.
Brenner, David J., et al. "Estimated risks of radiation-induced fatal cancer from pediatric CT." American journal of
roentgenology 176.2 (2001): 289-296.
≥2 Y
• 42,412 patients in prospective multicenter
observational study
• 15-20% associated
mortality
• CT scan does not
show well
• Poor GCS with
normal CT scan
• Important to repeat
CT after 24-48 hours
–edema, delayed
hematoma
ABUSIVE HEAD TRAUMA
• Common cause of death, particularly
among children younger than 12 months of
age
• Retinal hemorrhages are common (though
not pathognomonic) and correlate with the
severity of injury.
• Mortality rates as high as 23% reported
• Majority of surviving children have
permanent neurologic impairment.
RISK FACTORS ABUSIVE HEAD
TRAUMA
Risk Factors: perinatal illness, birth defects, incessant crying,
male gender
Hunt, Elizabeth A. "Phenytoin in traumatic brain injury." Archives of disease in childhood 86.1 (2002): 62-63.
HYPERGLYCEMIA
• Associated with poor outcomes in children with
TBI
• In 1 study, for children <14 years old going for
emergent craniotomy for TBI
• Perioperative hyperglycemia (glucose>200) found
in 45% of children
• Associated with <4 years, GCS <8, multiple
traumatic injuries
• Admission serum glucose > or = 300 mg/dL was
uniformly associated with death.
HYPERGLYCEMIA
• Randomized controlled trial N=1369 all critically ill children
in PICU (not specific to TBI).
• Insulin infusion (Glucose levels 70-120)
• Outcome: number of days alive and free from mechanical
ventilation at 30 days after randomization.
• Conclusion: no significant effect on major clinical outcomes,
although the incidence of hypoglycemia was higher
HYPEROSMOLAR
AGENTS: MANNITOL
• Reduces blood viscosity and has osmotic effect
(moving water from parenchyma into systemic
circulation) (Bouma et al. J Neurotrauma 1992)
• Mannitol may accumulate in injured brain
regions, where reverse osmotic shift may occur
with fluid moving from intravascular
compartment into the brain parenchyma-
worsening raised ICP (Kaieda R et al. Neurosurgery 1989; 24:671-678)
• Use of mannitol may risk development of ATN
and renal failure (The Brain Trauma Foundation. Use of Mannitol J
Neurotrauma 2000; 17:521-525)
HYPERTONIC SALINE
• Unlike mannitol, does not cause profound
osmotic diuresis, and the risk of
hypovolemia as a complication is
decreased.
• Restores normal cellular resting membrane
potential and cell volume, inhibits
inflammation, enhances cardiac output.
• Side Effects: osmotic demyelination
(central pontine myelinosis), heart failure.
CSF DRAINAGE
• An intracranial drain can be placed to
remove CSF and monitor ICP.
BARBITURATE COMA
• Can be used to treat intracranial
hypertension that is refractory to other
modalities.
• Pentobarbital is the barbiturate that is best
studied and most commonly used.
• Side Effects: Cardiac suppression,
hypotension (should be promptly treated
with IVF and vasopressors).
CONCLUSION
• Overall trend in improved outcomes after
severe TBI in children.
• Improved prehospital care, regionalization
of pediatric trauma care, adherence to EBM,
more aggressive care (ICP monitoring, early
surgical evacuation of mass lesions), MRI,
and advances in intensive care.