Pediatric trauma at a general hospital in Cali, Colombia

BackgroundTrauma is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Blunt trauma is the most common type and falls and road traffic injuries (RTI) are the most frequent mechanisms.MethodsSecondary analysis of institutional data included within the Panamerican Society of Trauma Registry (STP-ITSDP). A total of 581 trauma patients younger than 18 years, hospitalized between 2012 and 2014, were included.ResultsBlunt trauma (BT) (68%) was the most common type, and falls (42.5%) the most common mechanism. Median age was: 14 years for penetrating trauma (PT), 8 years for BT, and 5.5 years for other types of trauma (OT). Of all patients, 8.1% had a Glasgow score < 8, 9% had a Glasgow score of 8–13 and 81.1% had a Glasgow score higher than 14. Death occurred in 5.2% of patients: 83.3% as inpatients and 16.7% during initial management in the emergency room (ER). Patients dying in the ER were mostly PT victims, with higher ISS and lower Glasgow scores.ConclusionsTrauma is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in our pediatric population. Fundación Valle de Lili (FVL), a referral hospital, receives a high number of trauma patients from southwestern Colombia. Detailed knowledge of epidemiological data will help us to develop rapid response strategies for patients with trauma and to develop prevention and promotion programs.