Epidemiology of Neurotrauma in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Single-center Experience of 10 Years.

Abstract

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children can lead to grave consequences. The mechanism, mode, and management of pediatric neurotrauma are different from adult neurotrauma, and there is a growing demand to study the clinicoepidemiology of pediatric TBI.

Objective: To explore the clinicoepidemiological profile and outcome of pediatric neurotrauma.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary referral hospital in the PICU involving children (1 month to 18 years) sustaining TBI (2012-2022). Demographic, clinical, and laboratory details at the onset of admission were collected. Predictors of mortality were compared between survivors and non-survivors.

Results: Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of 316 children with traumatic brain injuries at admission were collected and analyzed. The median (IQR) age was 72 months (36-132 months), with 68% of the cohort being male. The majority of the study population (49.1%) was under the age of 5 years. Injury from a fall was the most frequent mechanism of injury (53.5%), followed by road traffic accidents (5%). More than half of the study population suffered mild-TBI (55%). The overall mortality was 8.9% (28/316), and it was highest in the severe TBI group (31.6%) and under-5 years population (42.9%). Lower pediatric trauma score (PTS) (AOR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.34-0.82) and polytrauma were significantly associated with mortality (AOR: 4.61; 95% CI: 1.02-20.86).

Conclusion: Traumatic brain injury is a significant concern in the pediatric population, particularly those under the age of 5 years. Lower PTS and polytrauma predicted poor outcome.

How to cite this article: Pujari CG, Lalitha AV, Raj JM, Ashwini A Meshram. Epidemiology of Neurotrauma in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Single-center Experience of 10 Years. Indian J Crit Care Med 2025;29(1):59-64.