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Purpose
Abusive head trauma (AHT) is a serious problem in children. The aims of this study are to identify risk factors that correlate with outcomes for those requiring neurosurgical intervention for very young children with AHT, assessment of variables associated with outcomes, and corroboration of our results with literature.
Methods
This is an...
Citations
... Higher-level falls (1.5-6 m in our study) likewise produced a wide range of results, ranging from widespread axonal injury and cerebral hemorrhage to minimal harm or scalp puffiness. 19,20 The findings validate the results of previous research that show low-level falls have a generally benign outcome and offer insight into the impact of such injuries in early life. Not all low-level fall head injuries will be reported to the authorities by the medical community. ...
Objective: One of the serious concerns for public health is unintentional injuries. Falls rank as the second most common cause of unintentional injury deaths globally, after injuries sustained in transportation accidents. The study's goals were to check the mechanisms and severity of the head injury from falls among children. Materials and Methods: A non-randomized retrospective study was conducted and children aged 0-12 years (n = 228) undergoing cranial CT guidance for head injury were enrolled. All patients were treated under the supervision of the neurosurgery department. Detailed radiological evaluation was done and recorded on specialized proforma. Results: Among the enrolled patients, mild head injury was noted in 49.1% of children while moderate head injury was noted among 40.4% of children. A total of 72 (31.6%) patients had skull fractures, of which 12 (5.3%) had a thin underlying subdural hemorrhage. Four cases of extradural hemorrhage complicated a skull fracture, and eight cases of isolated Subdural hemorrhage (SDH) were observed without a skull fracture. Of those 48 (21%), radiologically evident diffuse axonal injuries were present, and each of them included high-force injury mechanisms. Conclusion: When children sustain minor trauma, skull fractures, and focal SDH are rather common, although most of the time there are no long-term neurological effects. On the other hand, patients with an equally severe cause of injury were the only ones who experienced diffuse brain injury with significant neurological disability that followed.
... Accurately estimating the true incidence of pediatric TBI proves challenging. In the literature, the incidence is reported to be around 3% of all children [1]. In fact, they account for 60 to 70% of child trauma cases and responsible for one-third of infant mortality, establishing ...
Purpose
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study conducted in Tunisia on the neurosurgical management of child cranial trauma. The objectives of the present work were to identify the causes of pediatric head injuries, explore epidemiological and clinical specificities, and analyze the short- and long-term postoperative evolution.
Methods
A retrospective review was conducted on one hundred children with head injuries over a five-year period at one of the largest neurosurgery departments in Tunisia. The collected data encompassed demographic information, clinical presentation features, neuroimaging characteristics, surgical management, complications, and outcomes.
Results
Over a five-year period, we have found 118 children who have undergone surgery, representing an annual incidence of twenty-four children per year. The average age was 10 years. Falls emerged as the primary cause of childhood head injuries in our series, followed by road traffic accidents. The most frequently encountered initial sign was the loss of consciousness (52%), followed by headaches (28%), vomiting (25%), and seizures (8%). The average time between the accident and admission to the operating unit was 10 h. Various neurosurgeries were performed, with the evacuation of an epidural hematoma being the most common procedure. At a median follow-up of 24 months, the outcomes were favorable in 88% of cases.
Conclusion
The main prognostic factors for head trauma in children included age, circumstances of the accident, association with polytrauma, the initial Glasgow Coma Scale, the nature of the initial cerebral lesions, and the timeliness and quality of initial management.
