Avoidable factors contributing to death of children with head injury.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the incidence of potentially avoidable complications contributing to death of children with head injuries.

DESIGN

Retrospective review of children who died with head injuries from 1979 to 1986 from data of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, Hospital Activity Analyses, case notes, coroners' records, and necropsy reports.

SETTING

District general hospitals and two regional neurosurgical centres in Northern region.

RESULTS

255 Children died from head injury in the region, the mortality being 5.3 per 100,000 children per year. Head injury was the single most important cause of death in children aged greater than 1 year, accounting for 15% of deaths in children aged 1-15 years and a quarter for those aged 5-15 years. 121 Potentially avoidable factors possibly or probably contributing to death occurred in 81 children (32%). Half the children (125) died before admission, 27 of whom (22%) had potentially avoidable factors possibly or probably contributing to death, and 130 died after admission, 54 of whom (42%) had 93 such factors, which included failure of diagnosis or delayed recognition of intracranial haemorrhage or associated injury, inadequate management of the airways, and poor management of the transfer between hospitals.

IMPLICATIONS

Regions should revise urgently their guidelines for optimal management and indications for neurosurgical referral to include children with severe head injuries and audit their systems of care for all patients with head injuries.