The Most Frequent Complications after Cranio-cerebral Injuries in Children Hospitalized at the Department of Paediatric Surgery

Abstract

Introduction. Head injuries among children are the most frequent cause of hospitalization. Posttraumatic cranio-cerebral damage in children can lead to the occurrence of partial physical and mental disorders and in some cases prevent proper functioning of the organism.
Aim. The goal of this research was to study the frequency of complication occurrence among children after cranio-cerebral traumas as well as to determine the character they most often take on.
Material and Methods. The study was conducted at Paediatric Surgery Outpatient Clinic at the St. Luke District Hospital in Tarnów. It included 150 children hospitalized at the Department of Paediatric Surgery within the period from July to October 2015 due to sustained cranio-cerebral injuries ranging from minor and moderate to severe.
Results. The most frequent causes of sustained injuries were sport-related ones as well as those resulting from a fall from height. Among the vast majority of the children with an injury (95%) an early posttraumatic complication occurred in the form of concussion. The most often demonstrated early side symptoms of sustained injury included: emesis (80%), poor well-being and headache (69%) as well as drowsiness and changes in behavior (53%). The most frequent late complication was posttraumatic cerebrasthenia characterized by headache, memory disorders and problems with concentration. In the study group of children with an injury, poor well-being and headache were experienced by approximately 50% of the patients one week following the hospital discharge and by approximately 20% one month after the discharge.
Conclusions. The demonstrated early and late side symptoms observed among children with an injury, when properly treated and controlled, with time tend to decrease and thus contribute to comforting statistics of occurrence of a small number of serious complications following minor and moderate to severe cranio-cerebral injuries. (JNNN 2017;6(3):107–113)