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Table 2 Patient Disposition, Mortality, Hospital Utilization and PICU Utilization by Race

From: US children of minority race are less likely to be admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit after traumatic injury, a retrospective analysis of a single pediatric trauma center

Patient Disposition* and Mortality

 

Entire Cohort n = 654

Minority Children n = 361

White Children n = 293

p-value

Hospital Admission

576 (88.1%)

303 (83.9%)

273 (93.2%)

p < 0.001

Discharged to Home from ED

67 (10.2%)

49 (13.6%)

18 (6.1%)

p = 0.007

Died in the ED

9 (1.4%)

8 (2.2%)

1 (0.3%)

p = 0.087

Died in the Hospital

9 (1.4%)

6 (1.7%)

3 (1.0%)

p = 0.719

Overall Mortality

18 (2.8%)

14 (3.9%)

4 (1.4%)

p = 0.087

Hospital Utilization

 

Hospital Cohort n = 576

Minority Children n = 303

White Children n = 273

 

Hospital LOS (days)#

1.0 [1.0–3.0]

1.0 [1.0–2.3]

2.0 [1.0–3.0]

p = 0.002

General Care Floor Admission for Observation (yes)

315 (54.7%)

190 (62.7%)

125 (45.8%)

 

Operative Procedure$

128 (22.2%)

68 (22.4%)

60 (22.0%)

p = 0.973

Admitted to PICU setting

195 (33.9%)

79 (26.1%)

116 (42.5%)

p < 0.001

PICU Utilization and Injury Characteristics

 

PICU Cohort n = 195

Minority Children n = 79

White Children n = 116

 

PICU LOS (days)

1.0 [0.7–2.5]

1.4 [0.7–3.9]

0.9 [0.7–1.9]

p = 0.032

Hospital LOS (days)**

3.0 [2.0–7.0]

4.0 [2.0–10.0]

3.0 [2.0–5.0]

p = 0.053

ISS in PICU Patients

9 [5.0–16.0]

10.0 [5.0–19.0]

9.0 [5.0–14.0]

p = 0.045

 Mild Injury (ISS < 8)

72 (36.9%)

24 (30.4%)

48 (41.4%)

p = 0.158

 Moderate Injury (ISS 8–10)

79 (40.5%)

29 (36.7%)

50 (43.1%)

p = 0.457

 Severe Injury (ISS > 16)

44 (22.6%)

26 (32.9%)

18 (15.5%)

p = 0.007

Reason for PICU Admission

   

p = 0.007

 At Risk for Organ Failure

98 (50.3%)

30 (38.0%)

68 (58.7%)

 

 Organ Failure

97 (50.0%)

49 (62.0%)

48 (41.4%)

 
  1. Abbreviations and Definitions: PICU pediatric intensive care unit, ED emergency department, LOS length of stay, ISS injury severity score; “Minority” defined as Black, Hispanic ethnicity, Native American, or “other” race; “operative procedure” included subjects requiring a surgical procedure in the operating room at any point during the hospitalization; “organ failure” defined as encephalopathy evidenced by GCS < 15 or a trauma-associated seizure; a neurologic injury requiring a neurosurgical procedure; respiratory failure requiring oxygen support unable to be provided on a general care floor; liver failure, renal failure, or pancreatic failure requiring surgical intervention; compartment syndrome requiring surgical intervention, or hemorrhagic shock requiring medical or surgical intervention; *2 subjects transferred to different institution from the ED for care; #2 subjects with missing LOS data; $12 patients with multiple procedures; **hospital LOS for patients requiring PICU care; data are presented as median [interquartile range] or n (%)