Review of multiple traumatic injuries in an urban pediatric population.

Abstract

In an urban children's hospital setting, 95 consecutive multiple trauma admissions over a five-year period were classified by the Modified Injury Severity Scale (MISS) system. As previously designed, the MISS represents a numerical consolidation of the Abbreviated Injury Scale and Glasgow Coma Scale. Our data support the accuracy of the MISS scoring in predicting the outcome of the injured child. Detailed examination of our experience with hepatic (n = 33), splenic (n = 13), and renal (n = 38) injuries, in light of recent developments, reaffirms the efficacy of selective, conservative (nonoperative) management in the majority of abdominal solid organ injuries in children. A brief epidemiologic review of urban pediatric trauma follows.