Pediatric Trauma Care: Study Reveals Lower Mortality Rates in Children's Hospitals

A recent study by researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and Children's Research Institute has found that the risk of death for injured children is significantly lower when care is provided in pediatric trauma centers than in non-pediatric centers. The study, published in the January 2006 Journal of Pediatric Surgery, analyzed nearly 80,000 pediatric trauma cases using the 2000 Kids' Inpatient Database (KID). The results show that nearly 90 percent of injured children were treated at adult hospitals or in children's units at adult hospitals, while the 10.7 percent who were treated at children's hospitals had significantly lower mortality rates, lengths of stay, and hospital bills.

Key Takeaways:

• The study found that nearly 90 percent of injured children were treated at adult hospitals or in children's units at adult hospitals.
• Mortality rates were lowest (0.9 percent) in children's hospitals, somewhat worse (1.4 percent) in adult hospitals, and highest (2.4 percent) in children's units within adult hospitals.
• Lengths of stay greater than the 90th percentile occurred least often at children's hospitals (8.9 percent), somewhat more often in adult hospitals (9.7 percent), and most often in children's units (17.2 percent).
• Hospital charges above $15,000 were more likely in a children's unit (32.4 percent) than in an adult hospital (22.2 percent) or children's hospital (20.2 percent).
• The majority of the youngest and most severely injured children receive care in hospitals with poorer outcomes.
• The study highlights the need for pediatric-specific trauma care throughout the United States due to geographic disparity and limited number of pediatric surgeons, specialists, and children's hospitals.
• The study's data indicate that approximately 18,953 children aged one to 20 years died from injury-related deaths in 2002, the most recent year for which data are available.

Statistics:

• 80,000 pediatric trauma cases were analyzed in the study.
• 90 percent of injured children were treated at adult hospitals or in children's units at adult hospitals.
• 10.7 percent of injured children were treated at children's hospitals.
• 0.9 percent mortality rate in children's hospitals, 1.4 percent in adult hospitals, and 2.4 percent in children's units within adult hospitals.
• 8.9 percent lengths of stay greater than the 90th percentile in children's hospitals, 9.7 percent in adult hospitals, and 17.2 percent in children's units.
• 32.4 percent hospital charges above $15,000 in children's units, 22.2 percent in adult hospitals, and 20.2 percent in children's hospitals.
• 18,953 children aged one to 20 years died from injury-related deaths in 2002.

Sources:

• A study by researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and Children's Research Institute, published in the January 2006 Journal of Pediatric Surgery.
• The 2000 Kids' Inpatient Database (KID), an administrative database of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project containing more than 2.5 million inpatient discharge records from 27 states.
• A similar study of adults by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Washington School of Medicine, published in The New England Journal of Medicine (January 26, 2006 edition).
• Toranj Marphetia, Medical College of Wisconsin, Public Affairs/Media Relations (phone number).