Characteristics of injured children attending the emergency department: patients potentially in need of rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE To provide an epidemiological overview of the characteristics of injured children and to compare hospitalized and nonhospitalized injured children to identify predictors of hospitalization and, with that, possible predictors of disablement. DESIGN Retrospective analysis of data obtained from a computerized trauma registration system and medical records. SETTING Department of Traumatology, University Hospital Groningen, the Netherlands. SUBJECTS Children (0-19 years) injured in 1996 and 1997 (n = 5,057). RESULTS The majority of children were injured in home and leisure accidents (53%) and sustained minor injuries. Only 55 (1%) children were severely injured (Injury Severity Score (ISS) > or = 16). Overall, 512 (10%) patients required hospitalization, 19 children were referred to a rehabilitation centre, and 24 children died due to their injuries. The majority of these patients were injured in traffic. Compared with the group of nonhospitalized patients, the group of hospitalized patients consisted of more males and traffic victims, were more severely injured and sustained more head/neck, spine, and thorax and abdomen injuries. Nonhospitalized patients incurred proportionally more upper and lower extremity injuries. The ISS, the body region of most severe injury, and injury cause (traffic accidents) were significant predictors of hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS Young traffic victims, severely injured children in terms of high ISS scores, and children with injuries affecting the head/neck/face or thorax/abdomen carry the highest risk of hospitalization.