Injuries Among Children and Adolescents Caused by Traffic Accidents: Prognostic Indicators and Clinical Outcomes
Öz
Background: Traffic accidents are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children and adolescents. Comprehensive data combining demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings in Türkiye are limited. This study aimed to evaluate epidemiology, injury distributions, laboratory results, and prognostic factors associated with clinical outcomes and mortality.
Methods: This retrospective single-center cohort included 586 patients (0–17 years) who presented to the emergency department in 2024 after traffic accidents (ICD-10 V00–V89). Demographic characteristics, mechanisms, injury sites, laboratory parameters, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed. Binary logistic regression identified factors independently associated with mortality after age adjustment.
Results: The cohort comprised 392 males (66.9%) and 194 females (33.1%) with a median age of 12 years (IQR 8–15). In-vehicle accidents (54.6%) and pedestrian injuries (24.6%) were most common. Male sex and adolescent age were associated with greater injury severity and adverse outcomes. Among laboratory parameters, only INR was significantly higher in non-survivors (median 1.18 vs 1.06; p < 0.001) and was also elevated among hospitalized and surgically treated patients. Mortality occurred in 13 patients (2.2%). Head trauma was the strongest independent predictor of death (adjusted OR 24.7; 95% CI 6.6–93.0; p<0.001), while thoracic, abdominal/pelvic, and lower-extremity injuries also increased risk.
Conclusion: Head trauma is the key determinant of mortality in pediatric traffic accidents, with male gender and adolescence conferring additional risk. Incorporating simple clinical and laboratory indicators—particularly INR—into early evaluation may enhance triage, optimize resource use, and improve outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of early identification of high-risk injury patterns in optimizing pediatric emergency management.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Destekleyen Kurum
This study has received no funding, granting or sponsorship.
Etik Beyan
The study was approved by the Non-Interventional Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, Nigde Omer Halisdemir University (Approval No: 2025/37; Date: March 25, 2025) and conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. According to institutional regulations, informed consent was not required for retrospective studies. Permission for data access and use was obtained from the ethics committee. All patient data were anonymized prior to analysis and processed according to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) -compliant data protection protocols.
Teşekkür
None.
Kaynakça
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