Trend of pediatric trauma during a six-year period in a Level-1 Trauma Center in Northern Italy: epidemiological analysis of trauma mechanisms and the effects of Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Abstract Background: Trauma is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. During the Covid-19 pandemic (C-19), different trends for Pediatric Trauma (PT) were described. This study aims to explore the trend over time of PT in our center, also considering the effects of C-19, focusing on trauma mechanisms, violence-related trauma (VRT) and intentionality, especially suicide attempts (SA).Methods: All PT patients accepted at Niguarda Trauma Center (NTC) in Milan from January 2015 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. We considered demographics and clinical variables and performed descriptive and year comparison analyzes. Results: 684 PT were accepted at NTC: 84 in 2015, 98 in 2016, 125 in 2017, 119 in 2018, 114 in 2019 and 144 in 2020 (p<0.001); 66.2% male, mean age 9.88 (± 5.17). We observed a higher number of traffic-related, fall-related injuries and an increasing trend for VRT and SA, peaking in 2020. We report an increasing trend over time for head trauma (p=0.002). The Injury Severity Score did not significantly change. During C-19 we recorded a higher number of self-presenting patients with low priority codes.Conclusions: NTC is the adult level I referral trauma center for the Milan urban area, with pediatric commitment. During C-19, every traumatic emergency was centralized to NCT. In 2020 we observed an increasing trend of SA and VRT among PTs. The psychological impact of the C-19 restriction could explain this evidence. The long-term effects of C-19 on the mental health of the pediatric population should not be underestimated. Focused interventions on psychological support and prevention of SA and VRT should be implemented, especially during socio-demographic storms like the last pandemic.