The Radiation Footprint on the Pediatric Trauma Patient

Background: The actual baseline of radiation exposure used in evaluating pediatric trauma is not known and has relied on estimates in the literature that may not reflect clinical reality. Our objectives were to determine the baseline amount of radiation delivered in a pediatric trauma evaluation and correlate radiation exposure with trauma activation status to identify the cohort most at risk.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated trauma patients (N = 1050) at an independent Level I children's hospital for each level of trauma activation (consults, alerts, stats) from June 2010 to January 2011. Those patients with full dosimetry (N = 215) were analyzed for demographics, mechanism of injury, Injury Severity Score, imaging modalities, and total effective radiation dosages during the full trauma assessment from the time of injury to discharge.

Results: Demographics included gender (143 males, 72 females) and average age (5.5 years [range < 1-16]). The most radiation was conferred from CTs and greatest in trauma stats, followed by alerts, then consults (p < 0.001 for stat and alert doses compared to consults). Repeated imaging was common: 35% of stats had 2-3 CTs and 40% had 4-10 CTs (range 0-10 CTs). The average non-accidental trauma consult utilized four times as many CTs as the average consult (p = 0.002). Most outside hospital CTs (66%) delivered more radiation: 50.0% were at least double the standard pediatric dosage.

Conclusions: This study is the first to identify the actual baseline of radiation exposure for one trauma evaluation and correlate radiation exposure with trauma activation status. Factors associated with highest radiation include stat activations, suspected non-accidental traumas (NAT), and outside hospital system imaging.