title: [Differences in the outcome of seriously injured children depending on treatment level].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many publications, mainly from other countries, suggest that the treatment of seriously injured children might be better in specialised paediatric trauma centres than in general trauma centres. Data from Germany are not available yet, but those from abroad were used for the recommendations made by the German Association for Trauma Surgery (DGU) on the topic of paediatric trauma in the "White Paper on Trauma Care". The goal of this study was to analyse whether the outcome of severely injured children is dependent on treatment level and on the availability of a paediatric surgeon based on the given data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the "TraumaRegister DGU" between 2002 and 2012 were used. Children aged 1-15 years treated during the period 2002-2012 were included. Severity had to reach a minimum Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 9 and the treatment had to involve a stay at an Intensive Care Unit. Patients with an ISS ≥9 who died were also included to take into consideration children with particularly severe injuries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hospitals without a paediatric surgeon transferred the patients significantly more frequently (p < 0.001). Mean hospital stay was shorter in centres with a paediatric surgeon, with slightly longer median stays at an Intensive Care Unit. Hospitals without a paediatric surgeon performed slightly more frequent surgical interventions on injured children (barely significant at p = 0.045). The death rate and the calculated Revised Injury Severity Classification (RISC) II prognosis were the same with or without the presence of a paediatric surgeon. No difference was found in the Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) between the group with and the group without involvement of a paediatric surgeon.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, the medical care of seriously injured and polytraumatised children in Germany is good at all levels of treatment whether a paediatric surgeon is involved or not.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie, Sozialstiftung Bamberg, Klinikum am Bruderwald, Buger Strasse 80, 96049, Bamberg, Deutschland. peter.strohm@sozialstiftung-bamberg.de.
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Strohm
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg i. Br., Deutschland.
authors.forename: Jörn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zwingmann
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg i. Br., Deutschland.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bayer
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg i. Br., Deutschland.
authors.forename: Mirjam V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.affiliation: Institut für Forschung in der Operativen Medizin (IFOM), Universität Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lefering
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg i. Br., Deutschland.
authors.forename: Hagen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmal
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg i. Br., Deutschland.
authors.forename: Kilian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reising
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Health services research; Pediatric trauma; Polytrauma; Severe injury; Trauma center