Evaluation of Pediatric Patients with Thorax Trauma with Thorax Tube Insert in Emergency Department.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Traumas are an important cause of mortality in children. Our aim was to evaluate children traumas in need of thorax tube insertion and to determine our priorities for intervention in patients with thoracic trauma score. METHODS: The files of 78 children who developed pneumothorax and/or hemopneumothorax which also underwent tube thoracostomy between January 2013- September 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Gender, cause and type of trauma, accompanying traumas, clinical, laboratory, hospital stay and The Pediatric Trauma Score(PTS) of the patients were evaluated.Patients who were followed conservatively, operated due to trauma, and who underwent tube thoracostomy for reasons other than trauma were excluded from the study. RESULTS: %89.7 of patients were male. The type of trauma was blunt in 40 (51.3%) cases and penetrating trauma in 38 (48.7%) cases. The mean age of the patients was 12.62+-4.7 years ( 10.47+-5.25 years in blunt traumas, 14.89+-2.77 years in penetrating traumas). Tube thoracostomy was performed due to pneumothorax in 48.7% of patients, hemothorax in 28.2%, and hemopneumothorax in the remaining 23.1%. PTS mean values of blunt trauma patients were lower than penetranting trauma and this was statistically significant (p≤0.05). When the patients were divided into two groups as PTS 8 and above, 20 (25.6%) was below 8, 58 (74.6%) was above 8. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In pediatric emergencies, early diagnosis and treatment of the patient is life-saving. By quickly evaluating trauma patients with PTS, it is possible to make a preliminary assessment about the severity and clinic of the trauma.

Keywords

• child
• pediatric trauma score
• emergency
• thoracic tube