The pediatric trauma score more accurately predicts the severity of injury from road traffic accidents in children under the age of 7 years

Background: Road traffic accidents are potentially preventable multifactorial events due to factors such as vehicle fleet growth, human error and inadequate or insufficient laws, being responsible for a significant portion of morbidity and mortality in children. Objective: To calculate the Pediatric Trauma Score (PTS) and the Revised Trauma Score (RTS) and compare if there is a relationship between the severity of injury and the age of road traffic victims. Methods: This is a descriptive and exploratory study with a quantitative and documentary approach, performed in the city of Sobral, with motorcycle accidents involving children between 2005 and 2013. Data were collected from emergency ambulance service records and analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: There were 910 motorcycle accidents involving children between 2005 and 2013, 543 (59.7%) victims were male; 494 (54.3%) were aged 16-18 years old; 377 (41.4%) were victims of motorcycle falls. In the <7 year age group, hit by motorcycle (36.6%) and motorcycle falls (35.9%) were more predominant. PTS showed worse results in the <7 year age group when compared to the other age groups. There were no differences in RTS between the age groups. Among the variables that compose the PTS, musculoskeletal trauma (fractures and skin lesions) is highlighted as a severity factor. Conclusion: In motorcycle accidents involving children <7 years, the severity of injury was greater when compared to other age groups. Thus, PTS is a good pre-hospital screening tool to be used in children who have suffered motorcycle accidents.