Citation

Parslow RC, Morris KP, Tasker RC, Forsyth RJ, Hawley C. Arch. Dis. Child. 2005; 90(11): 1182-1187.

Affiliation

University of Leeds, United Kingdom.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/adc.2005.072405

PMID

16049060

PMCID

PMC1720170

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology of children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) admitted to paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) in the UK. DESIGN: Prospective collection of clinical and demographic information using pre-printed data collection forms between February 2001 and August 2003. Setting Paediatric and adult intensive care units in the UK and one paediatric intensive care unit in Eire PARTICIPANTS: Children aged less than 16 years admitted with TBI to intensive care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence rates of admission per 100 000 per year for children aged 0-14 years; socioeconomic status; mechanism, severity, month, time and day of injury and mortality. RESULTS: The UK prevalence rate for children (0-14 years) admitted to intensive care with TBI between February 2001 and August 2003 was 5.6 per 100 000 population per year (95% Poisson exact confidence intervals 5.17-6.05). Children admitted to PICUs with TBI were more deprived than the population as a whole (mean Townsend score for TBI admissions 1.19 vs. 0, t=- 7.55, p<0.0001). The commonest mechanism of injury was a pedestrian accident (36%), most often occurring in children over 10. There was a significant summer peak in admissions in children under 10 years. Time of injury peaked in the late afternoon and early evening, a pattern that remained constant across the days of the week. Injuries involving motor vehicles have the highest mortality rates (23% of vehicle occupants, 12% of pedestrians) compared with cyclists (8%) and falls (3%). In two thirds of admissions (65%) TBI was an isolated injury. CONCLUSIONS: TBI in children requiring intensive care is more common in those from poorer backgrounds who have been involved in accidents as pedestrians. The summer peak in injury occurrence for 0-10 year-olds and late afternoon timing give clear targets for community- based injury-prevention.