Purpose: Children requiring prehospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after traumatic injury have been shown to have poor survival. However, outcome of children still receiving CPR on-arrival by emergency medical service to the emergency department (ED) has not been demonstrated in a published clinical series.
Methods: An 11-year retrospective analysis from a level I pediatric trauma center of the outcomes of children requiring prehospital CPR after traumatic injury was undertaken. Outcome variables were stratified by survival, death, and CPR on-arrival.
Results: Of 169 children requiring prehospital CPR, there were 28 survivors and 141 deaths. Of 69 children requiring CPR on-arrival to the ED, there were no survivors. There were 70 females and 99 males. Mean age of survivors was 3.4 years; nonsurvivors, 8.8 years; and 4.6 years for CPR on-arrival. Thirty-nine percent of all injuries were sustained in motor vehicle collisions; 20%, motor pedestrian collisions; 19%, assaults; 7%, falls; 4%, all terrain vehicle/motorcycle/bicycle; and 4%, gunshot wounds. Forty-two percent of all patients expired in the ED, whereas 34% expired in the intensive care unit. Eighty-seven percent of CPR on-arrival patients expired in the ED. Fifty-five percent of survivors had full neurologic recovery.
Conclusion: Although mortality was extremely high for children requiring CPR in the field After traumatic injury, it was absolute for those arriving at the ED still undergoing CPR.
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