Closed traumatic brain injury in children

Abstract

Background Accidental injuries are the most common reason for death among children. Of all the types of traumatic injuries, brain injuries are the most cause of death or permanent disability. Aim The aim of this study is to evaluate posttraumatic hospital-admitted children to reach better management, outcome, and prognosis and to achieve the best possible care for closed-head injury patients. Patients and methods This prospective study (May 2018–May 2019), conducted at Luxor International Hospital and Al-Azhar University Hospital, includes all children aged 0–14 years with exclusion of children older than 14 years and penetrating head injuries. All the case records were reviewed and the pertinent data (clinical history, age, sex, mode of injury) were analyzed. We categorized them into mild, moderate, and severe head injuries based on the Glasgow coma scale (GCS) at the time of admission. Results Out of 30 children with traumatic brain injury (TBI), 17 (56.7%) were of mild, nine (30%) moderate, and four (13.3%) severe TBI. In the group of patients in the category of GCS less than or equal to 8, poor outcome was seen in 50%, followed by patients in group GCS 9–12 at 0%, succeeded by group of patients with GCS 13–15 at 0%, which was statistically significant. Conclusion This study has shown that the reason for TBI in children we managed was age dependent. Falls were widespread in toddlers, pedestrian accidents more common in preschool and school-age groups. This study has shown that the outcome of head injury in children we managed depended on the severity of the injury.

Keywords

• brain
• children
• injury
• management
• traumatic