A. Desai1, H. Alemayehu1, K. Savoie3, R. Barker3, R. F. Williams3, S. Turner2, B. Tjaden2, J. Howard2, P. Aguayo1 1Children’s Mercy Hospital,Surgery,Kansas City, MO, USA 2University Of Kansas Medical Center,Surgery,Kansas City, KS, USA 3University Of Tennessee Health Science Center,Memphis, TN, USA
Introduction: There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating improved outcomes associated with early radiographic evaluation of trauma patients. While there are a number of imaging modality options, the accuracy of CT scan during the diagnostic phase of acute trauma care has been well established. The objective of this study was to compare the time to CT scan as well as time spent obtaining CT scans between pediatric and adult trauma patients.
Methods: We performed a multi-center retrospective review of all trauma activations at two pediatric and two adult level 1 trauma centers from January 2012 to December 2013.
Results: A total of 1,323 (645 adult, 678 pediatric) patients were eligible for review during the study period. There was no significant difference in hemodynamic instability in the trauma bay (42 adult, 56 pediatric, p=0.3). There were, however, a significantly higher number of level 1 activations (227 adult, 118 pediatric, p <0.01), and higher ISS score (13.7±11.8 adult, 12.4±10.8 pediatric, p=0.04) in the adult population. Time to CT scan was significantly shorter in the pediatric population (35±34min pediatric, 46±68 adult, p<0.01). Time spent in CT was also significantly shorter in the pediatric population (22±11 min pediatric, 35±17min, p<0.01).
Conclusion: Although time to CT scan as well as time spent in CT scan was significantly shorter in the pediatric population, the difference was less than 15 minutes. Small difference in time may not be clinically relevant, and may be secondary to higher level of acuity seen in the adult population.