Paediatric traumatic brain injuries: A descriptive analysis of incidence, visits, cause, and admission rates in Iceland from 2010 to 2021

IF 1.8 4区医学 Q2 NURSING

International Emergency Nursing Pub Date : 2025-01-29 DOI:10.1016/j.ienj.2025.101572

Svana Katla Thorsteinsdottir , Thordis Thorsteinsdottir , Karl F. Gunnarsson

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are common in emergency departments (ED) and may cause long-term negative outcomes but knowledge on how the first assessment of children with TBI may predict outcomes is lacking. This study aimed to expand the knowledge by describing the incidence, visits, causes, and outcomes of TBI in children in Iceland.

Methods

A retrospective descriptive data analysis was conducted on electronic medical records of children aged 0–17 that visited Landspitali EDs due to a traumatic head injury in 2010–2021. Cases were based on registered ICD-10 diagnosis and data was collected on demographics, causes, triage, length of stay (LOS), admissions and mortality rates. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and associations of variables tested for significance.

Results

The study sample included 30,014 emergency visits. The majority involved boys (61.21 %) and children under 6 years old (57.99 %, M = 5.98 years). Girls had a significantly lower mean age (5.75 years vs 6.13 years, p < 0.001). The highest incidence was in one-year olds (729 per 100,000) and was on average 310 per 100,000 children of all ages. Total yearly visits decreased throughout the study period (M = 2,501). Emergency Severity Index (ESI) of 4 (50.77 %) was the most common, with 59.6 % of ESI = 1 cases admitted (p < 0.001). The average LOS was 2.2 h and 1.05 % were admitted. Falls (43.62 %) and soft tissue injuries (73.68 %) were the most common, with intracranial injuries (42.57 %) being the most common in ED observations and admissions. Throughout the study period, 30 (0.10 %) died, thereof three within a week post-injury. In total, 26.64 % of children had at least one revisit to the ED with a traumatic head injury.

Conclusions

Children commonly visit EDs due to TBI, mostly with mild injuries but one fourth revisited with a new head injury. There may be groups of children that require specialised follow-up care and assessment to detect and prevent further complications of TBI. Paediatric emergency nurses may be in a key position in identifying children in need of follow-up care. Further research is needed to enhance knowledge of outcomes of TBI in children and to reflect the important role of nurses in paediatric TBI care.

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儿科创伤性脑损伤：2010年至2021年冰岛发病率、就诊、原因和入院率的描述性分析

背景：外伤性脑损伤（TBI）在急诊科（ED）很常见，可能导致长期的不良结果，但关于如何对TBI患儿进行首次评估预测预后的知识缺乏。本研究旨在通过描述冰岛儿童脑外伤的发病率、就诊、原因和结果来扩大知识。方法：对2010-2021年因外伤性颅脑损伤到兰德斯皮塔利急诊科就诊的0-17岁儿童电子病历进行回顾性描述性分析。病例基于已登记的ICD-10诊断，并收集有关人口统计学、病因、分诊、住院时间（LOS）、入院率和死亡率的数据。计算描述性统计量，并检验变量的相关性是否显著。结果：研究样本包括30,014次急诊就诊。其中以男孩（61.21%）和6岁以下儿童（57.99%,M = 5.98岁）居多。女孩的平均年龄明显低于女孩（5.75岁vs 6.13岁）。结论：儿童通常因TBI而去急诊室，大多数是轻度损伤，但四分之一的儿童因新的头部损伤而再次就诊。可能有一些儿童群体需要专门的后续护理和评估，以发现和预防TBI的进一步并发症。儿科急诊护士在确定需要后续护理的儿童方面可能处于关键地位。需要进一步的研究来提高对儿童创伤性脑损伤结果的认识，并反映护士在儿科创伤性脑损伤护理中的重要作用。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Emergency Nursing NURSING-

CiteScore

3.20

自引率

11.10%

发文量

期刊介绍： International Emergency Nursing is a peer-reviewed journal devoted to nurses and other professionals involved in emergency care. It aims to promote excellence through dissemination of high quality research findings, specialist knowledge and discussion of professional issues that reflect the diversity of this field. With an international readership and authorship, it provides a platform for practitioners worldwide to communicate and enhance the evidence-base of emergency care. The journal publishes a broad range of papers, from personal reflection to primary research findings, created by first-time through to reputable authors from a number of disciplines. It brings together research from practice, education, theory, and operational management, relevant to all levels of staff working in emergency care settings worldwide.