TY - JOUR
T1 - Pediatric sternal fractures from a Level 1 trauma center
AU - Ramgopal, Sriram
AU - Shaffiey, Shahab A.
AU - Conti, Kavitha A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2019/8
Y1 - 2019/8
N2 - Background/purpose: Sternal fractures are rare in children. The purpose of this series is to document traumatic findings in pediatric patients with sternal fractures at a Level 1 trauma center. Study design: We reviewed the charts of patients with radiologically confirmed sternal fractures from a trauma database at a pediatric Level 1 trauma center between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2015. We report mechanisms of injury, associated injuries, complications, and outcomes associated with sternal fractures. Results: Over the 16-year period, 19/25,781 (0.07%) admitted patients had radiologically confirmed sternal fractures. 15/19 (78.9%) patients were male. The median age was 14 years, with interquartile range 10–16 years. 7/19, (36.8%) were sustained owing to motor vehicle accidents. Associated injuries included substernal hematoma (n = 6), pulmonary contusion (n = 4), vertebral injury (n = 2), rib fracture (n = 4), intraabdominal injury (n = 3), pneumothorax (n = 3), long bone injury (n = 3) traumatic brain injury (n = 2), hemothorax (n = 2), pneumomediastinum (n = 2) and cardiac contusion (n = 1). Conclusions: In this series, pediatric sternal fractures were caused by high velocity mechanisms and had significant comorbidity. While patients with isolated sternal fractures may be candidates for emergency department discharge, a thorough evaluation should be performed in children with sternal fractures to identify concurrent injuries. Level of evidence: Level IV.
AB - Background/purpose: Sternal fractures are rare in children. The purpose of this series is to document traumatic findings in pediatric patients with sternal fractures at a Level 1 trauma center. Study design: We reviewed the charts of patients with radiologically confirmed sternal fractures from a trauma database at a pediatric Level 1 trauma center between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2015. We report mechanisms of injury, associated injuries, complications, and outcomes associated with sternal fractures. Results: Over the 16-year period, 19/25,781 (0.07%) admitted patients had radiologically confirmed sternal fractures. 15/19 (78.9%) patients were male. The median age was 14 years, with interquartile range 10–16 years. 7/19, (36.8%) were sustained owing to motor vehicle accidents. Associated injuries included substernal hematoma (n = 6), pulmonary contusion (n = 4), vertebral injury (n = 2), rib fracture (n = 4), intraabdominal injury (n = 3), pneumothorax (n = 3), long bone injury (n = 3) traumatic brain injury (n = 2), hemothorax (n = 2), pneumomediastinum (n = 2) and cardiac contusion (n = 1). Conclusions: In this series, pediatric sternal fractures were caused by high velocity mechanisms and had significant comorbidity. While patients with isolated sternal fractures may be candidates for emergency department discharge, a thorough evaluation should be performed in children with sternal fractures to identify concurrent injuries. Level of evidence: Level IV.
KW - Cardiac contusion
KW - Children
KW - Hemothorax
KW - Injury
KW - MVA
KW - Pediatric
KW - Pneumomediastinum
KW - Pneumothorax
KW - Trauma
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2018.08.040
DO - 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2018.08.040
M3 - Article
C2 - 30274707
AN - SCOPUS:85054022645
SN - 0022-3468
VL - 54
SP - 1628
EP - 1631
JO - Journal of Pediatric Surgery
JF - Journal of Pediatric Surgery
IS - 8
ER -