Current Thoracic Surgery 2019 , Vol 4 , Issue 2
Clinical and biochemical parameters for the selective use of chest computed tomography in pediatric blunt trauma patients
Demet Yaldız1,Murat Anıl2,Mustafa Onur Öztan3,Funda Cansun Yakut4,Mehmet Sadık Yaldız1
1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Manisa, Turkey
2Department of Emergency of Pediatrics, Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey
3Department of Pediatric Surgery, Katip Çelebi University, Faculty of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey
4Department of Thoracic Surgery, Dr. Suat Seren Chest Diseases and Surgery Training and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey
DOI : 10.26663/cts.2019.00013 Viewed : 3564 - Downloaded : 1134 Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the predictive role of clinical and biochemical parameters whether thoracic CT scan rate could be decreased in high energy blunt thoracic trauma in children.

Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 15 pediatric patients who received chest computed tomography, out of 165 consecutive high-energy pediatric trauma patients admitted to our pediatric emergency department within one year. 15 Patients were divided into two groups. Normal tomography findings (Group I; n = 8) and revealing thoracic pathology (Group II; n = 7). The groups were compared in terms of age, gender, weight, type of trauma, fever, pulse and respiratory rate per minute, systolic blood pressure, peripheral blood oxygen saturation and biochemical parameters. Glasgow Coma Scale, Pediatric Trauma Score, Modified Trauma score, and Injury Severity Score were also calculated and evaluated.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, gender, weight, type of trauma, fever, respiratory rate, systolic blood pressure, and pulse rate (p > 0.05), whereas a statistically significant difference was determined between two groups with respect to peripheral blood oxygen saturation (p = 0.013), white blood cell count (p = 0.008), blood glucose (p = 0.003), alanine transaminase (p = 0.033), and aspartate transaminase (p = 0.012). When the trauma scores were evaluated; Glasgow Coma Score (p < 0.001), Pediatric Trauma Score (p = 0.002), and Modified Trauma Score (p < 0.001) were found to be statistically low in the second group while Injury Severity Score (p = 0.001) was higher.

Conclusions: Peripheral blood oxygen saturation, white blood cell count, blood glucose, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and Glasgow Coma Score, Pediatric Trauma Score, Modified Trauma Score, Injury Severity Score shall be predictive parameters for a thoracic pathology and need for chest computed tomography. Keywords : pediatric blunt thoracic trauma, computerized chest tomography, predictive parameter