Comparison of multiple trauma in children and adults

Multiple injuries in children are responsible for a great part of childhood mortality. Remaining handicaps after injuries have a social and economic s ignificance. In this study, the characteristics of polytrauma in childhood are evaluated by comparison with severely injured adults. The two groups of multiple trauma patients (117 children between 3 and 15 years of age and 1 159 adults between 16 and 59) were equal in the overall severity of all inj uries. Children were mainly hurt as pedestrians, whereas adults had an acci dent more often as car passengers. The most frequently injured region were in both groups fractures of the extremities. The greatest injury severity r epresented head injuries in each group. Complications were seen more often in adult patients. Multiple organ failure and isolated liver failure were e xclusively seen in the adult group, pneumonia and lung failure occurred sig nificantly more often. The duration of artificial ventilation and the durat ion of hospital stay were prolonged in the adult group. In summary, childre n with multiple injuries have a lower mortality rate than adults. The main cause of death are cerebral injuries. Remaining handicaps in surviving chil dren are most often caused by fractures of the lower extremities.