Do children with Glasgow 13/14 could be identified as mild traumatic brain injury?
OBJECTIVE
To identify in mild head injured children the major differences between those with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) 15 and GCS 13/14.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study accomplished through information derived from medical records of mild head injured children presented in the emergency room of a Pediatric Trauma Centre level I, between May 2007 and May 2008.


RESULTS
1888 patients were included. The mean age was 7.6 + or - 5.4 years; 93.7% had GCS 15; among children with GCS 13/14, 46.2% (p<0.001) suffered multiple traumas and 52.1% (p<0.001) had abnormal cranial computed tomography (CCT) scan. In those with GCS 13/14, neurosurgery was performed in 6.7% and 9.2% (p=0.001) had neurological disabilities.


CONCLUSIONS
Those with GCS 13/14 had frequently association with multiple traumas, abnormalities in CCT scan, require of neurosurgical procedure and Intensive Care Unit admission. We must be cautious in classified children with GCS 13/14 as mild head trauma victims.
Melo
José Roberto Tude
JR
Post-Graduation Program in Medicine and Health from Federal University of Bahia (PPgMS-UFBA), Salvador BA, Brazil. robertotude@gmail.com
Lemos-Júnior
Laudenor Pereira
LP
Reis
Rodolfo Casimiro
RC
Araújo
Alex O
AO
Menezes
Carlos W
CW
Santos
Gustavo P
GP
Barreto
Bruna B
BB
Menezes
Thomaz
T
Oliveira-Filho
Jamary
J
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000145:classification* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed