Pediatric Age-adjusted Shock Index (SIPA): From Injury to Outcome in Blunt Abdominal Trauma.

PURPOSE

The Shock Index Pediatric Age-Adjusted (SIPA) score is a useful tool for identifying pediatric trauma patients at a risk of poor outcomes and for triaging. We are studying the relationship between elevated SIPA score and specific outcomes in pediatric trauma patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted in which case records of 58 pediatric patients with blunt abdominal trauma were evaluated and tabulated for their SIPA scores only at the time of their initial presentation and categorized into two groups - normal SIPA and elevated SIPA. The primary outcomes were need for blood transfusion, need for any intervention, and need for emergency surgery, and the secondary outcomes were need for computed tomography (CT) scan, need for a ventilator, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, length of hospital stay, and mortality. Statistical methods were applied to find a relationship between elevated SIPA score and the primary and secondary outcomes.

RESULTS

An elevated SIPA score was noted in 27 (46%) patients. There was a significant relationship between elevated SIPA scores and patients needing blood transfusion (68.75%, = 11) and length of hospital stay (10.48 ± 7.54 days). A significant relationship between elevated SIPA score and need for emergency surgery (54.54%, = 6), need for a CT scan (56%, = 14), and ICU stay (50%, = 2) was not found.

CONCLUSION

We have seen in our study that elevated SIPA scores at presentation are significantly related to need for blood transfusion and length of hospital stay. In more than half of the patients, elevated SIPA was associated with need for emergency surgery and requirement of CT scan, but it was statistically not significant. Therefore, assessment of this parameter can help in identifying such poor outcomes.