Paediatric trauma patients and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: correlation and significance.
BACKGROUND
Trauma is one of the leading reasons for emergency department (ED) visits in children. Hyperactivity, inattentiveness and impulsiveness may contribute to injury proneness. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and role of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children with trauma.


METHODS
Trauma patients aged 3-17 attending the ED were included in the study group. Parents were informed after medical care had been given to their children, and demographic data and information about the trauma were collected. Later, parents were asked to complete the Conners' Parent Rating Scales-Revised questionnaire for ADHD symptoms. The control group consisted of children of similar age and sociocultural characteristics who attended the hospital for reasons other than trauma. Cases in which the child apparently had no active role in the trauma or where the parents did not complete the Conners' Parent Rating Scales-Revised questionnaire were excluded from the study.


RESULTS
Fifty-five children were included in the study group (mean age 7.49 (range 3-14; SD 3.3); 33 (60%) were male). The control group was statistically similar to the study group. The most common trauma mechanism was falls (n=31, 56.4%). All the subscale scores were significantly higher in the study group, and previous trauma-related ED visits were associated with significantly higher subscale scores.


CONCLUSIONS
The data suggest that children who make repeated trauma-related ED visits have a predisposition to ADHD, and they may benefit from screening for this disorder while in the ED.
Emergency Medicine, Inonu University Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Ozal Medical Center, Emergency Department, Malatya 44280, Turkey. cem.ertan@inonu.edu.tr
Cem
C
Ertan
Özlem Özel
ÖÖ
Özcan
Mustafa Safa
MS
Pepele
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology