Children
Epidemiology, Clinical Characteristics, and Hospitalization Patterns in Children Aged ≤72 Months with Traumatic Head Injury: A 16-Year Single-Center Study
By Miloš Pajić, Jelena Antić, Goran Rakić and 2 others.
Abstract
Purpose
To characterize hospitalized children aged ≤72 months with traumatic head injury at a Serbian tertiary pediatric center, evaluate factors associated with severe clinical course as the primary patient-level outcome, and describe temporal patterns in hospitalization among head-injury presentations.
Methods
This retrospective single-center study covered 2010–2025. Patient-level data were available for hospitalized children, while annual aggregate counts described head-injury presentations. Severe clinical course was defined as recorded GCS ≤ 8 on admission, surgical intensive care unit admission, and/or surgical intervention. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated associated factors, and quasi-binomial regression examined temporal changes in hospitalization proportions.