Association between injury mechanism and hospital length of stay among children: Findings from a level-I trauma center in Saudi Arabia

Background/Purpose

Traumatic injuries are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity among children in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, injuries place a significant burden on the health sector, especially due to costs like intensive care unit admission and prolonged hospital length of stay (LOS). We aim to investigate the association between injury mechanism and LOS among injured children (age <18 years) admitted to a level-I trauma center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Methods

This analysis included 3,069 patients. Patients were included if they were admitted following a fall or a motor vehicle injury between 2001-2010. The association was investigated using a multivariable linear regression model adjusting for age, gender, Injury Severity Score (ISS), Triage-Revised Trauma Scale (T-RTS) Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), an indicator for surgery and an indicator for head injury.  

Results

The median hospital LOS was four days. Children, 0-7 years of age were significantly more likely to be admitted than older age groups (p<0.01). Male children were significantly more represented in the sample than females (p<0.01). Also, falls injuries were significantly high (41.9 percent). However, occupant and pedestrians injuries were respectively associated with 6.9 (95% CI 1.6-12) and 6.1 (95% CI 1.6-12) more hospital days than falls injuries despite adjusting for age, gender, ISS, T-RTS, GCS, head injuries and surgery.

Conclusion

Occupant and pedestrian injuries showed the strongest association with LOS following injuries. These results highlighted the importance of implementing preventive strategies to alleviate the burden traffic injuries place on healthcare settings and improve children’s health.