Identification of risk factors for disabilities in children following traumatic brain injury: a prospective cohort study

Authors

  • Hassan Kadri Department of Neurosurgery, Children’s University Hospital, Damascus University, Syria
  • Diana Asmar Department of Neurosurgery, Children’s University Hospital, Damascus University, Syria
  • Huda Daood Department of ICU, Children’s University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Syria
  • Barah Hussain Department of ICU, Children’s University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Syria
  • Tim Kadri Department of Biology, George Washington University, Washington DC, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2349-3291.ijcp20251090

Keywords:

Childhood, Morbidity, Mortality risk factors, Traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Background: Head injury is a common occurrence in children and is one of the leading causes of death and disability in this age group. Accurately predicting the outcome of children with head injuries is critical for appropriate treatment and management of these patients. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors that can help predict the outcome of children who have been admitted for a clinically significant head injury.

Methods: We prospectively analyzed the data of 65 patients under the age of 13 years who were admitted to our hospital after a clinically significant traumatic brain injury (TBI). We statistically analyzed various parameters, such as age, gender, mechanism of trauma, consciousness level, convulsion, vomiting, radiological investigation, duration of hospitalization and the need for mechanical ventilation.

Results: The parameters that had significant predictive value for the final outcome included the mechanism of trauma, consciousness level, convulsion, radiological results, duration of hospitalization and the need for mechanical ventilation. However, age, gender and vomiting had no significant predictive value.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that it is possible to predict the outcome of children with head injuries accurately by considering certain risk factors. This could aid in providing appropriate treatment and management of these patients, which is critical for their recovery and rehabilitation. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm our findings.

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Published

2025-04-24

How to Cite

Kadri, H., Asmar, D., Daood, H., Hussain, B., & Kadri, T. (2025). Identification of risk factors for disabilities in children following traumatic brain injury: a prospective cohort study. International Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics, 12(5), 721–727. https://doi.org/10.18203/2349-3291.ijcp20251090

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Section

Original Research Articles