A new study published in Spine examines pediatric cervical spine and spinal cord injury outcomes.
The researchers examined the triennial KID from 2000 to 2012 using the ICD-9-CM codes to identify pediatric cervical spine patients. The researchers found:
1. Overall pediatric cervical spine injury was 2.07 percent.
2. The mortality rate for pediatric cervical spine injury was 4.87 percent.
3. The most frequent cause for pediatric cervical spine injury was transportation accidents, which accounted for 57.51 percent of the cases.
4. There was a decreasing trend in upper cervical spine injury, cervical fracture with spinal cord injury, spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality and dislocation with age.
5. Comorbidities associated with the pediatric cervical spinal cord injury include:
• Fluid and electrolyte disorders
• Paralysis
• Substance abuse
6. The independent risk factors for pediatric cervical spinal cord injury were older patients, people who didn't live in the northeast region of the country and transportation accidents.
7. The mortality risk factors included younger patients, transportation accidents, cervical spine injury, dislocation and spinal cord injuries.
8. Patients stayed at the hospital for 3.84 days on average and care cost $14,742 on average.
"Pediatric patients are highly heterogeneous, constantly undergoing behavioral, environmental and anatomical changes," concluded the study authors.