title: Hospital-based emergency department visits in children with motor vehicle traffic accidents: estimates from the nationwide emergency department sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study is to provide nationally representative estimates of children visiting hospital-based emergency departments (ED) for motor vechicle traffic accidents (MVTA) in the United States during the year of 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nationwide Emergency Department Sample for 2008 was used. All pediatric (age ≤18 years) ED visits with external cause for injury ICD-9-diagnostic codes for MVTA were selected. Outcomes examined included discharge status following ED visit and presence of concomitant injuries. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize the estimates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Totally 604 027 hospital-based ED visits occurred in the United States among children (age ≤18 years) due to MVTA. Following an ED visit, 91% were discharged routinely, while 6% were admitted as inpatients into the same hospital. A total of 928 children died in the ED. A total of 34 004 ED visits required inpatient admission into the same hospital and 768 patients died during hospitalization. Mean charge per ED visit was $1887 and total ED charges across the United States were close to $970 million. Among those admitted into the same hospital following ED visit (n=34 004), the mean hospitalization charge was $53 726 and total hospitalization charge across the entire United States were $1.8 billion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study findings illustrate the burden associated with pediatric ED visits due to MVTA. Close to $970 million of hospital charges were incurred by children who made an ED visit due to a MVTA during 2008 and about $1.8 billion was incurred among those hospitalized following an ED visit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Critical Care and Pharmacology, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, University Hospitals, Case Medical Center, Cleveland, USA.
authors.forename: Veerajalandhar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Allareddy
authors.forename: Ingrid M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Min Kyeong
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Veerasathpurush
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Allareddy
authors.forename: Sankeerth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rampa
authors.forename: Romesh P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Nalliah
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014481:United States; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*