title: Isolated traumatic head injury in children: Analysis of 276 observations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To determine predictive factors of mortality among children after isolated traumatic brain injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective study, we included all consecutive children with isolated traumatic brain injury admitted to the 22-bed intensive care unit (ICU) of Habib Bourguiba University Hospital (Sfax, Tunisia). Basic demographic, clinical, biochemical, and radiological data were recorded on admission and during ICU stay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 276 patients with 196 boys (71%) and 80 girls, with a mean age of 6.7 ± 3.8 years. The main cause of trauma was road traffic accident (58.3%). Mean Glasgow Coma Scale score was 8 ± 2, Mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 23.3 ± 5.9, Mean Pediatric Trauma Score (PTS) was 4.8 ± 2.3, and Mean Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM) was 10.8 ± 8. A total of 259 children required mechanical ventilation. Forty-eight children (17.4%) died. Multivariate analysis showed that factors associated with a poor prognosis were PRISM > 24 (OR: 10.98), neurovegetative disorder (OR: 7.1), meningeal hemorrhage (OR: 2.74), and lesion type VI according to Marshall tomographic grading (OR: 13.26).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Tunisia, head injury is a frequent cause of hospital admission and is most often due to road traffic injuries. Short-term prognosis is influenced by demographic, clinical, radiological, and biochemical factors. The need to put preventive measures in place is underscored.
authors.affiliation: Medical Intensive Care Unit, CHU H Bourguiba, Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mabrouk
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bahloul
authors.forename: Hedi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chelly
authors.forename: Anis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chaari
authors.forename: Imen
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chabchoub
authors.forename: Sondes
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haddar
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Herguefi
authors.forename: Hassen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dammak
authors.forename: Chokri Ben
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Hamida
authors.forename: Hichem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ksibi
authors.forename: Hatem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kallel
authors.forename: Noureddine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rekik
authors.forename: Mounir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bouaziz