Trauma is the leading killer of children in the US. It accounts for more than 60% of deaths from 1-19 years of age. In each age sub-category accidents are the number one cause of death. Every year, 15,000 children die from trauma, 500,000 are hospitalized and 50,000 acquire permanent disabilities. The annual cost of childhood injuries in 1999 was estimated to be $350 billion or 3.8% of the GDP! 85-90% of pediatric injuries are from blunt trauma, most commonly traumatic brain injury (TBI), which accounts for half of pediatric trauma deaths. Child abuse and "shaken baby syndrome" are seen most often in infants and toddlers. Falls are most common in younger children and are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries. Elementary school-aged children are typically involved in bicycle accidents or auto-pedestrian collisions, while adolescents are most often injured as occupants in motor vehicle accidents (MVA). These injury mechanisms are the primary determinant of the type and severity of injury sustained. Overall MVAs are responsible for 2/3 of all pediatric injury-related deaths. Head injury in a pediatric trauma patient significantly increases mortality and is associated with a worse functional outcome at discharge. Data from the National Pediatric Trauma Registry indicates a 9-fold increase in mortality in patients with a head injury, 86% of trauma deaths have a head injury and TBI is the primary cause of death in 75% of non-survivors. "Introduction" Pages: 1 2 3 4 Next