Epidemiological Comparison between Two Decades of Pediatric Head Injury Hospitalization in Turkey in 2000-2010 and 2011-2020.

Aim: To understand the changing trends in pediatric head injury in a university hospital comparing two decades.

Material and methods: The medical records of pediatric patients hospitalized for head injuries were evaluated retrospectively between 2000 and 2020 to investigate the epidemiological differences between decades. The patient files were evaluated in terms of age, sex, mechanism of trauma, whether there was additional trauma, radiological findings, Glasgow coma score (GCS), and Rankin scores.

Results: A difference was found between the ages of the patients who were hospitalized for head trauma in 2000-2010 (first decade) and 2011-2020 (second decade) (p < 0.001). The admission rate of children in the preschool age group was higher in the second decade (p < 0.05), whereas the admission rate of school-age children and adolescents was higher in the first decade (p < 0.05). The admission rate of patients who had head trauma due to traffic accidents was higher in the first decade (p < 0.05). The rate of linear fracture was higher in the second decade (29.90% vs. 55.60%, p < 0.05). The incidence of epidural hemorrhage was higher in patients admitted in the first decade (18.50% vs. 7.90%, p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Some classical information has changed over the years. Multicenter studies with a higher number of patients will correct the changing knowledge about pediatric head trauma.