Medical Costs of Mild to Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury in Children

Disability specific equivalence scales: a case-control approach applied to the cost of acquired brain injuries

This study estimates the household costs resulting from acquired brain injuries in terms of a reduction in the standard of living. The application uses primary data collected in the Verona and Florence provinces of Italy integrating highly detailed health information with information about consumption, income, wealth, time-use and relational well-being describing the standard of living. In general, the estimates of disability costs in previous studies are obtained from survey data without a specific focus on individuals with disabilities but collect information on the general health status. In contrast, this study exploits highly detailed information on a sample of "cases" with a disability, whose intensity is measured by the highly precise European quality of life measure-5 domain-5 (EQ-5D) instrument, to be compared with a sample of "control" formed by households without disabled members. The disability scales have been estimated using a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) based procedure. We then implement interpersonal comparisons on the health income dimension in a theoretically plausible way, testing the independence hypothesis of equivalence scales. Our study finds that on average disabled households need an additional amount of about €1800 per month to reach the same standard of livings as the non-disabled households corresponding to a scale of 1.78.

Pediatric Moderate and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review of Clinical Practice Guideline Recommendations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disability in children. Many clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have addressed pediatric TBI in the last decade but significant variability in the use of these guidelines persists. Here, we systematically review CPGs recommendations for pediatric moderate-to-severe TBI, evaluate the quality of CPGs, synthesize the quality of evidence and strength of included recommendations, and identify knowledge gaps. A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE®, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science, and Web sites of organizations publishing recommendations on pediatric injury care. We included CPGs developed in high-income countries from January 2012 to May 2023, with at least one recommendation targeting pediatric (≤ 19 years old) moderate-to-severe TBI populations. The quality of included clinical practice guidelines was assessed using the AGREE II tool. We synthesized evidence on recommendations using a matrix based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework. We identified 15 CPGs of which 9 were rated moderate to high quality using AGREE II. We identified 90 recommendations, of which 40 (45%) were evidence based. Eleven of these were based on moderate to high quality evidence and were graded as moderate or strong by at least one guideline. These included transfer, imaging, intracranial pressure control, and discharge advice. We identified gaps in evidence-based recommendations for red blood cell transfusion, plasma and platelet transfusion, thromboprophylaxis, surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis, early diagnosis of hypopituitarism, and mental health mangement. Many up-to-date CPGs are available, but there is a paucity of evidence to support recommendations, highlighting the urgent need for robust clinical research in this vulnerable population. Our results may be used by clinicians to identify recommendations based on the highest level of evidence, by healthcare administrators to inform guideline implementation in clinical settings, by researchers to identify areas where robust evidence is needed, and by guideline writing groups to inform the updating of existing guidelines or the development of new ones.

Early death prediction in children with traumatic brain injury using computed tomography scoring systems

PURPOSE

Marshall and Rotterdam are the most commonly used CT scoring systems to predict the outcome following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Although several studies have compared the performance of the two scoring systems in adult patients, none of these studies has evaluated the performance of the two scoring systems in pediatric patients. This study aimed to determine the predictive value of the Marshall and Rotterdam scoring systems in pediatric patients with TBI.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 105 children with admission GCS < 12, with a mean age of 6.2 (±3.5) years. Their initial CT and status at hospital discharge (dead or alive) were reviewed, and both the Marshall and Rotterdam scores were calculated. We examined whether each score was related to the early death of pediatric patients.

RESULTS

The pediatric patients with higher Marshall and Rotterdam scores had a higher mortality rate. There was a good correlation between the Marshall and Rotterdam scoring systems (Spearman's rho = 0.618, significant at the 0.05 level). Both systems demonstrated a high degree of discrimination when predicting early mortality. The Marshall scoring system had reasonable discrimination (AUC 0.782), and the Rotterdam scoring system had good discrimination (AUC 0.729). Comparing the two CT scoring systems, the Marshall scoring system provided a better positive predictive value (90%) for early mortality than the Rotterdam scoring system (78%).

CONCLUSIONS

Both the Marshall and Rotterdam scoring systems have good predictability for assessing mortality in pediatric patients with TBI. The performance of the Marshall scoring system was equal to or slightly better than that of the Rotterdam scoring system.

A Population-Based Study of the Incidence, Medical Care, and Medical Expenditures for Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

BACKGROUND

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of pediatric trauma morbidity and mortality around the world. However, limited research exists regarding disparities in the incidence of TBI and medical care seeking behaviors and medical expenditures for TBI, particularly using population-based and nationally-representative data.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present study used the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) Panels 9-19 (2004-2015) to provide nationally-representative estimates for the civilian, non-institutionalized U.S.

POPULATION

We examined differences in TBI incidence and associated medical care seeking behaviors and expenditures in relation to individual and family sociodemographic characteristics.

RESULTS

From a total of 50,563 children in the MEPS Panels 9-19, we identified 449 children with TBI. For 82% of these children, medical treatment was sought. The estimated annual total expenditure associated with pediatric TBIs nationally was approximately $667 million, with mean expenditures per TBI being $1,532 and family out of pocket expenditures accounting for 8.3% of total expenditures. Race/ethnicity was the only significant factor associated with both medical care seeking behavior and total expenditures.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study is among the first to compare pediatric TBI-related medical expenditures among different sociodemographic groups in the U.S. Our findings can inform future intervention research and policy-making from the perspectives of both epidemiological and behavioral sciences.

Challenges and opportunities for neuroimaging in young patients with traumatic brain injury: a coordinated effort towards advancing discovery from the ENIGMA pediatric moderate/severe TBI group

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability in children in both developed and developing nations. Children and adolescents suffer from TBI at a higher rate than the general population, and specific developmental issues require a unique context since findings from adult research do not necessarily directly translate to children. Findings in pediatric cohorts tend to lag behind those in adult samples. This may be due, in part, both to the smaller number of investigators engaged in research with this population and may also be related to changes in safety laws and clinical practice that have altered length of hospital stays, treatment, and access to this population. The ENIGMA (Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Pediatric Moderate/Severe TBI (msTBI) group aims to advance research in this area through global collaborative meta-analysis of neuroimaging data. In this paper, we discuss important challenges in pediatric TBI research and opportunities that we believe the ENIGMA Pediatric msTBI group can provide to address them. With the paucity of research studies examining neuroimaging biomarkers in pediatric patients with TBI and the challenges of recruiting large numbers of participants, collaborating to improve statistical power and to address technical challenges like lesions will significantly advance the field. We conclude with recommendations for future research in this field of study.

The cost of a single concussion in American high school football: a retrospective cohort study

Aim:

The potential financial burden of American football-related concussions (FRC) is unknown. Our objective was to describe the healthcare costs associated with an FRC and determine factors associated with increased costs.

Methodology/results:

A retrospective cohort study of concussed high school football players presenting between November 2017 and March 2020 was undertaken; 144 male high school football players were included. Total costs were about $115,000, for an average direct healthcare cost of $800.10/concussion. Visiting the emergency department (β = 502.29, 95% CI: 105.79–898.61; p = 0.01), the initial post-concussion symptom scale score (β = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.11–0.66; p = 0.01) and a post-concussion syndrome diagnosis (β = 670.37, 95% CI: 98.96–1241.79; p = 0.02) were each independently associated with total costs.

Conclusion:

A granular understanding of cost-driving factors associated with FRC is the first step in understanding the cost–effectiveness of prevention and treatment methods.

The healthcare costs, or the costs incurred by the healthcare system, associated with a single concussion in American high school football are unknown. We reviewed the records of 144 high school football players who received concussion care at our sport concussion center and calculated the direct healthcare costs associated with the appointments, imaging studies and therapies received, when applicable. We found that each concussion results in about $800 of healthcare system spending. A few factors were associated with greater costs, including visiting the emergency department and having symptoms for over 1 month. Furthermore, the more symptoms an athlete had at their first clinic visit, the higher total cost of care. Understanding these costs can potentially help clinicians and researchers determine the best ways to maximize care while minimizing the costs.

Family Hardship Following Youth Concussion: Beyond the Medical Bills

PURPOSE

The costs facing families after pediatric concussion are not limited to medical expenses for treatment and rehabilitation care. The objective of this research was to examine the economic hardship facing families following concussion.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Eighteen youth (10-18 years old) with a diagnosed concussion injury and sixteen parents (13 parent/youth dyads) answered open-ended questions regarding experiences associated with concussion care and recovery, specifically as they related to cost. Participants were recruited from a concussion clinic, social media, and via snowball sampling. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded using deductive qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

In addition to direct health care expenses (e.g. copays and deductibles), families of youth with concussion faced indirect costs associated with tutoring and transportation to medical appointments, in some cases over long distances. Financial cost-sharing for concussion care varied widely across participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Lost productivity included parents missing work to care for their child and for travel to appointments. Research that describes costs of care using claims or survey data lack the experiential perspective of the economic burden on families following concussion.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

To fully understand the impact of concussion on patients and families, healthcare providers must consider non-monetary costs, such as opportunity costs, transportation required to obtain healthcare, or the productivity cost associated with missed work and school.

Sex differences in pediatric traumatic brain injury

The response of the developing brain to traumatic injury is different from the response of the mature, adult brain. There are critical developmental trajectories in the young brain, whereby injury can lead to long term functional abnormalities. Emerging preclinical and clinical literature supports the presence of significant sex differences in both the response to and the recovery from pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). These sex differences are seen at all pediatric ages, including neonates/infants, pre-pubertal children, and adolescents. As importantly, the response to neuroprotective therapies or treatments can differ between male and females subjects. These sex differences can result from several biologic origins, and may manifest differently during the various phases of brain and body development. Recognizing and understanding these potential sex differences is crucial, and should be considered in both preclinical and clinical studies of pediatric TBI.

Brain MRI in Children with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Persistent Symptoms in Both Sports- and Non-sports-related Concussion

Aim: To evaluate the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), persistent post-concussive syndrome (PPCS), and normal neurologic examination.

Materials and methods: This was a retrospective review of pediatric patients, who were evaluated in a Pediatric Concussion Clinic between August 2013 and November 2018, with documented persistent post-concussive symptoms, normal neurological examination, and available brain MRI.

Results: In our analysis of 86 cases we found seven MRI studies with abnormal findings, but none were clinically significant.

Conclusion: We conclude that MRI has a low diagnostic yield in this population, and based on these results we recommend that clinicians should avoid ordering MRI studies in this group. Further research is necessary to validate these results in larger and prospective studies.

Annual Trends in Follow-Up Visits for Pediatric Concussion in Emergency Departments and Physicians' Offices

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether children and youth with concussion receive follow-up visits in accordance with the recommended guidelines.

STUDY DESIGN

We conducted a retrospective, population-based study using linked health administrative data from all concussion-related visits to emergency department and physician offices by children aged 5 through 18 years (range, 5.00-18.99) in Ontario between 2003 and 2013. We analyzed the percentage of children and youth seen for follow-up. The Mann-Kendall test for trends was used to assess a monotonic increasing trend over time in concussion follow-up visits.

RESULTS

A total of 126 654 children and youth were evaluated for an index concussion visit. The number of children and youth assessed for concussion follow-up (N = 45 155) has increased significantly over time (P < .001). In 2003, 781 of 7126 patients (11.0%; 95% CI, 10.3-11.7) with an index visit for concussion had a follow-up assessment. By 2013, 6526 of 21 681 (30.1%; 95% CI, 29.5-30.7) patients received follow-up care.

CONCLUSIONS

The proportion of children and youth receiving follow-up after an acute concussion has significantly increased between 2003 and 2013. Nevertheless, more than two-thirds of all patients do not seek medical follow-up or clearance as recommended by current concussion guidelines, suggesting that ongoing efforts to improve and monitor compliance with recommended guidelines by patients and physicians are important.

The Relationship Between Traumatic Injury in Children and Long-Term Use of Health and Social Services by Children and Their Families

To increase understanding of relationships between general traumatic injury in children and long-term use of resources in the health care and social services (HSS) sectors by these children and their families 8-10 years after traumatic injury. This study was a cross-sectional retrospective cohort study of prognosis from 2001 to 2003 that quantified recent expenditures on and use of HSS by children and also by their parents. Forty-eight cases of children were selected from the Hamilton Health Sciences pediatric trauma database in the period from January 2001 to December 2003 after incurring a traumatic injury with Injury Severity Score greater than 12. The average total cost to the HSS system per child's family was $4,326.62 during the preceding 6 months. During the same period, average use of HSS was 7 visits. Total service costs incurred by caregivers of injured children increased with severity of the traumatic injury (p= .009). Caregiver HSS use was higher when the injury was caused by a motor vehicle accident than by other types of accidents (p< .001) and increased with the injury severity (p< .001). HSS use by children was related to gender (p< .001), injury mechanism (p< .001), age at accident (p< .001), and time since accident (p= .012), among other factors. Pediatric trauma appears to have long-term effects on expenditures on and use of HSS by the affected children and their families. The findings emphasize the need for long-term assessment and possible delivery of services to the families of the injured children.

Health Care Costs 1 Year After Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to estimate total health care costs for mild, moderate, and severe pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to compare individual- and population-level costs across levels of TBI severity.

METHODS

Using 2007 to 2010 MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters data, we estimated total quarterly health care costs 1 year after TBI among enrollees (aged < 18 years). We compared costs across levels of TBI severity using generalized linear models.

RESULTS

Mild TBI accounted for 96.6% of the 319 103 enrollees with TBI; moderate and severe TBI accounted for 1.7% and 1.6%, respectively. Adjusted individual health care costs for moderate and severe TBI were significantly higher than mild TBI in the year after injury (P < .01). At the population level, moderate and severe TBI costs were 88% and 75% less than mild TBI, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Individually, moderate and severe TBI initially generated costs that were markedly higher than those of mild TBI. At the population level, costs following mild TBI far exceeded those of more severe cases, a result of the extremely high population burden of mild TBI.

Direct medical charges of pediatric traumatic brain injury in multiple clinical settings

Background

Data limited to emergency department and inpatient visits undoubtedly underestimate the medical charges associated with traumatic brain injury. The objective of this study was to estimate the direct medical charges of pediatric traumatic brain injuries across all clinical settings in one large, pediatric hospital in the United States.

Methods

Traumatic brain injuries sustained by children ≤20 years of age treated across all clinical settings at one large pediatric hospital from August 1, 2010-July 31, 2011 were identified using ICD-9-CM codes 310.2, 800–801.9, 803–804.9, 850–854.16, and 959.01.

Results

3,971 individuals ≤20 years of age were seen during 5,429 traumatic brain injury-related visits. Total medical charges for pediatric traumatic brain injury-related visits were $13,131,547. Inpatient (68.7%) and emergency department (16.1%) visits accounted for the highest proportion of TBI-related charges; however, >15% of all charges were associated with visits to clinic outpatient, urgent care, and diagnostic/therapy outpatient settings. Fracture of the vault or base of the skull (37.1%) and brain injury with contusion, laceration, or hemorrhage (27.1%) accounted for the largest proportion of total charges. Although unspecified head injuries made up almost half of all TBI-related visits (47.4%), they accounted for only 12.6% of total charges. Mild traumatic brain injuries accounted for 92.0% of all traumatic brain injury-related visits but only 44.7% of all traumatic brain injury-related charges. Mild traumatic brain injuries treated in the emergency department had a higher median total charge than those treated in urgent care (p < 0.0001) or clinic outpatient setting (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

This study, the first to evaluate the direct medical charges of pediatric traumatic brain injury across all clinical settings at one large pediatric hospital, found that pediatric traumatic brain injuries present to a wide variety of clinical settings, and differences exist in total charges by diagnosis, severity of the injury, and clinical site/setting. Investigating traumatic brain injuries across the full spectrum of clinical care is needed for a better understanding of the true medical cost and public health burden of pediatric traumatic brain injury.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2197-1714-1-13) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Computed tomography characteristics in pediatric versus adult traumatic brain injury

OBJECT

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of injury, hospitalization, and death among pediatric patients. Admission CT scans play an important role in classifying TBI and directing clinical care, but little is known about the differences in CT findings between pediatric and adult patients. The aim of this study was to determine if radiographic differences exist between adult and pediatric TBI.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively analyzed TBI registry data from 1206 consecutive patients with nonpenetrating TBI treated at a Level 1 adult and pediatric trauma center over a 30-month period.

RESULTS

The distribution of sex, race, and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was not significantly different between the adult and pediatric populations; however, the distribution of CT findings was significantly different. Pediatric patients with TBI were more likely to have skull fractures (OR 3.21, p < 0.01) and epidural hematomas (OR 1.96, p < 0.01). Pediatric TBI was less likely to be associated with contusion, subdural hematoma, subarachnoid hemorrhage, or compression of the basal cisterns (p < 0.05). Rotterdam CT scores were significantly lower in the pediatric population (2.3 vs 2.6, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

There are significant differences in the CT findings in pediatric versus adult TBI, despite statistical similarities with regard to clinical severity of injury as measured by the GCS. These differences may be due to anatomical characteristics, the biomechanics of injury, and/or differences in injury mechanisms between pediatric and adult patients. The unique characteristics of pediatric TBI warrant consideration when formulating a clinical trial design or predicting functional outcome using prognostic models developed from adult TBI data.

Direct cost associated with acquired brain injury in Ontario

BACKGROUND

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) from traumatic and non traumatic causes is a leading cause of disability worldwide yet there is limited research summarizing the health system economic burden associated with ABI. The objective of this study was to determine the direct cost of publicly funded health care services from the initial hospitalization to three years post-injury for individuals with traumatic (TBI) and non-traumatic brain injury (nTBI) in Ontario Canada.

METHODS

A population-based cohort of patients discharged from acute hospital with an ABI code in any diagnosis position in 2004 through 2007 in Ontario was identified from administrative data. Publicly funded health care utilization was obtained from several Ontario administrative healthcare databases. Patients were stratified according to traumatic and non-traumatic causes of brain injury and whether or not they were discharged to an inpatient rehabilitation center. Health system costs were calculated across a continuum of institutional and community settings for up to three years after initial discharge. The continuum of settings included acute care emergency departments inpatient rehabilitation (IR) complex continuing care home care services and physician visits. All costs were calculated retrospectively assuming the government payer's perspective.

RESULTS

Direct medical costs in an ABI population are substantial with mean cost in the first year post-injury per TBI and nTBI patient being $32132 and $38018 respectively. Among both TBI and nTBI patients those discharged to IR had significantly higher treatment costs than those not discharged to IR across all institutional and community settings. This tendency remained during the entire three-year follow-up period. Annual medical costs of patients hospitalized with a brain injury in Ontario in the first follow-up year were approximately $120.7 million for TBI and $368.7 million for nTBI. Acute care cost accounted for 46-65% of the total treatment cost in the first year overwhelming all other cost components.

CONCLUSIONS

The main finding of this study is that direct medical costs in ABI population are substantial and vary considerably by the injury cause. Although most expenses occur in the first follow-up year ABI patients continue to use variety of medical services in the second and third year with emphasis shifting over time from acute care and inpatient rehabilitation towards homecare physician services and long-term institutional care. More research is needed to capture economic costs for ABI patients not admitted to acute care.

Minimal and mild paediatric brain injury: a 3-year cohort of consecutive presentations

OBJECTIVE

To determine the number of children with minimal and mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their demographic factors, causes, associated signs/symptoms and management.

METHODS

A cross-sectional analysis of consecutive presentations to a tertiary paediatric centre.

RESULTS

There were 2043 presentations of minimal and mild TBI over 3 years (minimal TBI = 79.7% [n = 1628]; mild TBI = 20.3% [n = 415]). Mean age was 5.12 years (SD = 5.14) with children ≤3 years comprising 53.2% (n = 1086). There was a bimodal distribution in mild TBI with peaks at 0-2 and 13-15 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1.6:1. Only 34.6% of GCS scores were documented. Falls caused most injury. Overall, 6.3% (n = 129) required hospital admission and 29.1% (n = 594) were reviewed clinically.

CONCLUSION

Minimal and mild TBI is common, representing a significant burden on individuals, families and healthcare providers. High rates of follow-up impact on the healthcare system and warrant further investigation.

Medical care costs associated with traumatic brain injury over the full spectrum of disease: a controlled population-based study

Data on traumatic brain injury (TBI) economic outcomes are limited. We used Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP) resources to estimate long-term medical costs for clinically-confirmed incident TBI across the full range of severity after controlling for pre-existing conditions and co-occurring injuries. All Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents with diagnoses indicative of potential TBI from 1985-2000 (n=46,114) were identified, and a random sample (n=7175) was selected for medical record review to confirm case status, and to characterize as definite (moderate/severe), probable (mild), or possible (symptomatic) TBI. For each case, we identified one age- and sex-matched non-TBI control registered in REP in the same year (±1 year) as case's TBI. Cases with co-occurring non-head injuries were assessed for non-head-injury severity and assigned similar non-head-injury-severity controls. The 1145 case/control pairs for 1988-2000 were followed until earliest death/emigration of either member for medical costs 12 months before and up to 6 years after baseline (i.e., injury date for cases and comparable dates for controls). Differences between case and control costs were stratified by TBI severity, as defined by evidence of brain injury; comparisons used Wilcoxon signed-rank plus multivariate modeling (adjusted for pre-baseline characteristics). From baseline until 6 years, each TBI category exhibited significant incremental costs. For definite and probable TBI, most incremental costs occurred within the first 6 months; significant long-term incremental medical costs were not apparent among 1-year survivors. By contrast, cost differences between possible TBI cases and controls were not as great within the first 6 months, but were substantial among 1-year survivors. Although mean incremental costs were highest for definite cases, probable and possible cases accounted for>90% of all TBI events and 66% of total incremental costs. Preventing probable and possible events might facilitate substantial reductions in TBI-associated medical care costs.

Healthcare costs associated with mild traumatic brain injury and psychological distress in children and adolescents

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE

Comparison of healthcare costs for youth with mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) to costs in a matched cohort of children without TBI in the 3 years following injury.

RESEARCH DESIGN

This study used a prospective cohort design with 3-year follow-up. Costs were examined using the well-established two-step model and controlling for potential confounding variables.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

Four-hundred and ninety subjects from a large health maintenance organization, 14 years old or younger, who sustained a mild TBI in 1993, were identified using computerized records. For each youth with mild TBI, three control subjects were selected (n = 1470), matched on age, sex and enrolment at the time of injury.

EXPERIMENTAL INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

TBI exposure was associated with an increase in the proportion of subjects who had non-zero medical costs in all categories examined and a 75% increase in mean total costs. Presence of psychological distress was also associated with increased proportion of subjects with costs in all categories examined and was associated with an approximate doubling of mean total costs.

CONCLUSIONS

Mild TBI and psychological distress were each associated with significant increases in healthcare costs in an HMO setting.

Incidence of pediatric traumatic brain injury and associated hospital resource utilization in the United States

OBJECTIVE

The goal was to examine the influence of sociodemographic characteristics and health care system factors on the utilization of hospital resources by US children < or = 17 years of age with a diagnosis of traumatic brain injury.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Database, from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2000, was performed. National estimates of traumatic brain injury-associated hospitalization rates and resource use were calculated with Kids' Inpatient Database sample weighting methods.

RESULTS

Of 2,516,833 encounters between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2000, 25,783 cases involved patients < or = 17 years of age with a recorded diagnosis of traumatic brain injury. On the basis of these data, there were an estimated 50,658 traumatic brain injury-associated hospitalizations among children < or = 17 years of age in the United States in 2000. The traumatic brain injury-associated hospitalization rate was 70 cases per 100,000 children < or = 17 years of age per year; 15- to 17-year-old patients had the highest hospitalization rate (125 cases per 100,000 children per year). Pediatric inpatients accrued more than $1 billion in total charges for traumatic brain injury-associated hospitalizations in this study. In the multivariate regression models, older age, Medicaid insurance status, and admission to any type of children's hospital were associated with a longer length of stay for pediatric traumatic brain injury-associated hospitalizations. Older age, longer length of stay, and in-hospital death predicted higher total charges for traumatic brain injury-associated hospitalizations.

CONCLUSION

Pediatric traumatic brain injury is a substantial contributor to the health resource burden in the United States, accounting for more than $1 billion in total hospital charges annually.