Comparative Outcomes of Children and Adults Suffering Blunt Trauma

Abstract

In order to test the hypothesis that outcome from blunt traumatic injury is different for children and adults, a statistical method based on the TRISS Index was used to compare patient outcomes after blunt injury among three pediatric populations (N=594 children: ages 0—3, ages 0—8, and ages 0-14) and an adult population (N=7,809: ages 15—54 inclusive). There was no statistical difference in predicted outcome between these populations. Using a methodology that accounts for both anatomic injury description and physiologic response (TRISS), the survival probability function does not appear to be age dependent below 54 years.