Characteristics of 4060 children with head injury
| Characteristic | No. (%) of patients* |
|---|---|
| Age, yr, mean ± SD (range) | 9.7 ± 4.8 (0–16) |
| Sex, male | 2618 (64.5) |
| Time from injury to assessment by physician, h, mean ± SD | 4.6 ± 4.4 |
| Arrival by ambulance | 1466 (36.1) |
| Transfer from another hospital | 506 (12.5) |
| Loss of consciousness (witnessed) | 1206 (29.7) |
| Disorientation or confusion (witnessed) | 2082 (51.3) |
| Amnesia, n = 2956† | 1703 (57.6) |
| Repeated vomiting (≥ 2 episodes) | 1495 (36.8) |
| Initial GCS score | |
| 15 | 3706 (91.3) |
| 14 | 263 (6.5) |
| 13 | 91 (2.2) |
| Mechanism of injury | |
| Fall | 1823 (44.9) |
| Sports | 1092 (26.9) |
| Head struck/hit by object | 496 (12.2) |
| Bicycle | 269 (6.6) |
| Pedestrian struck | 116 (2.9) |
| Motor vehicle collision | 89 (2.2) |
| Assault | 86 (2.1) |
| Motorized recreational vehicle | 70 (1.7) |
| Other | 19 (0.5) |