Trauma in Portugal continues to be one of the main causes of death in children and adolescents. Yet, there is a shortage of population-based studies about weapon related trauma in our country.
To describe patients hospitalized for weapon related trauma in a Portuguese Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Retrospective study through clinical processes analysis of hospitalized cases for a period of 10 years (January 2006 to December 2017).
Were included 9 cases, 88,9% were male and mean age was 11,3 years. A firearm was used in 66.6% and a white weapon in the remaining cases, 44.4% happened at home, mainly on weekend. Two cases were suicide attempts while in the others the aggressor was either a friend, family or a neighbor. In 5 cases the aggression was intentional, 55,6% the injury was in the head, whereas the rest was in abdomen, back or neck. During hospitalization, all patients were intubated, 5 underwent surgery and 4 required inotropic and transfusional support. Median length of stay was 14,5 days. Overall mortality was 22,2%, corresponding to a 5 and a 14-year-old male, both with severe traumatic brain injury. Of those two patients, Pediatric Risk of Mortality calculated through PRIM III score was 29 and 30 and probability of death was 0.597 and 0.673, respectively. One patient persisted with major sequels and one with minor.
Weapon injuries in children can be associated with severe adverse outcomes including death, which makes this a significant public health problem and a focus to prevention measures in risk groups.