Pediatric vs adult vascular trauma: a National Trauma Databank review.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to examine nationwide data on vascular injuries in children and to compare pediatric and adult patients with respect to the incidence, injury mechanisms, and outcomes.


METHODS
This is a National Trauma Databank analysis based on dataset version 7.0 (spanning a 5-year period ending December 2006). Pediatric patients under the age of 16 with at least one reported diagnosis of a vascular injury were compared to the adult cohort aged 16 and greater with a vascular injury.


RESULTS
During the study period, of 251,787 injured patients younger than 16 years, 1138 (0.6%) had a vascular injury. The incidence in patients 16 years or older was significantly higher, at 1.6% (P < .01). Compared to the adult vascular patients, pediatric patients had a significantly lower Injury Severity Score (16.8 +/- 14.9 vs 26.3 +/- 16.7, P < .001) and encountered less frequently penetrating injuries (41.8% vs 51.2%, P < .001). The most commonly injured vessels in the pediatric population were vessels of the upper extremity (424 patients or 37.9%). The overall incidence of thoracic aortic injuries in children was seven-fold lower compared to the incidence in adults (0.03% vs 0.21%). After adjusting for confounding factors, pediatric patients demonstrated improved survival following vascular injuries (adjusted odds ratio, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.45-0.79; P < .001). No significant difference was identified in the rate of amputation between pediatric and adult patients who had sustained upper or lower extremity vascular injuries.


CONCLUSIONS
Vascular trauma in the pediatric population is uncommon, occurring in only 0.6% of all pediatric trauma patients. Although less frequent than adults, a significant proportion was due to penetrating injury. Vessels of the upper extremity were the most commonly injured and were associated with low mortality. Injuries of the thoracic aorta are rare. Overall, pediatric patients had an improved adjusted mortality when compared to adults.
Barmparas
Galinos
G
Division of Trauma Surgery and Surgical Critical Care, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
Inaba
Kenji
K
Talving
Peep
P
David
Jean-Stephane
JS
Lam
Lydia
L
Plurad
David
D
Green
Donald
D
Demetriades
Demetrios
D
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000293:injuries*; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000453:epidemiology; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000453:epidemiology