Faculty Collaboration Database

Development of a novel age-specific pediatric trauma score. J Pediatr Surg 2001 Jan;36(1):106-12

Date

01/11/2001

Pubmed ID

11150447

DOI

10.1053/jpsu.2001.20023

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0035166569 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   44 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Trauma scoring systems are needed to provide efficient triage of injured patients and to assess differences in outcomes and quality of care between different trauma centers. Current scoring systems used in pediatric trauma are not age specific, and thus have significant limitations.

METHODS: The authors queried the Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study for all children 0 to 16 years entered in the database from 1993 to 1996. Age-specific threshold values for systolic blood pressure, pulse, and respiratory rate were established. Using coded scores for these age-specific values and Glasgow Coma Scale, an age-specific pediatric trauma score (ASPTS) was derived. Triage ASPTS (T-ASPTS) consisted of the integer sum of coded scores for the 4 variables, whereas ASPTS was calculated using weighted coefficients derived from logistic regression for each variable.

RESULTS: T-ASPTS correlated with mortality rate. Using a threshold score of less than 10, T-ASPTS predicted mortality rate with a sensitivity of 96.97% and a specificity of 88.83%. T-ASPTS predicted mortality rate and percentage of patients with Injury Severity Score greater than 20 with similar sensitivity to the Revised Trauma Score (RTS), but T-ASPTS was more specific. The ASPTS predicted probability of survival more accurately than the RTS.

CONCLUSIONS: ASPTS performs favorably as both a triage score and as a tool for predicting probability of survival for outcomes analysis. Further comparisons to existing trauma scores are needed to verify the utility of ASPTS.

Author List

Potoka DA, Schall LC, Ford HR

Author

Laura Cassidy PhD Associate Dean, Director, Professor in the Institute for Health and Humanity department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Child
Child, Preschool
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Logistic Models
Pediatrics
Sensitivity and Specificity
Trauma Severity Indices
Triage