Strategies for Safely Maintaining Surgical Volume During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Resuming elective surgeries that were canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a change to preprocedure patient preparation at a pediatric tertiary care center in middle Tennessee. We conducted a prospective, observational, mixed-methods study to determine the effectiveness of a preprocedure COVID-19 testing team to prevent COVID-19-related cancellations among pediatric patients receiving planned anesthesia. The intervention involved family member and patient education and a change in health record reporting to include COVID-19 test results.

A pilot hospital-school educational program to address teen motor vehicle safety.

Background: Texting while driving has emerged as a significant distracted driving behavior among teenage drivers. A unique hospital-school collaborative pilot intervention (called "Be in the Zone" or "BITZ") was implemented to combat this growing problem. This intervention was hypothesized to lead to a decline in texting while driving among high school students.

Safety factors related to all-terrain vehicle injuries in children.

Background: All-terrain vehicle (ATV)-related injuries are a significant source of pediatric trauma. We hypothesized that these injuries are caused by poor safety behavior. To test this hypothesis, we surveyed both injured and uninjured ATV riders.

Development of a hospital-based trauma registry in Haiti: an approach for improving injury surveillance in developing and resource-poor settings.

Background: Trauma-related morbidity and mortality are a growing burden in the developing world. However, usable injury data in resource-poor and developing settings is lacking. Trauma registries can improve injury surveillance to enhance trauma care, outcomes, and prevention.

Diagnostic and therapeutic laparoscopy in pediatric abdominal trauma.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the role of emergent laparoscopy as a diagnostic and potentially therapeutic modality in pediatric trauma. We hypothesize that diagnostic laparoscopy provides important information for the treatment of children with abdominal trauma and is accompanied by improved diagnostic accuracy, reduction of nontherapeutic laparotomy rates, and a reduction of morbidity.

Methods: A 5-year (January 2000-December 2004) retrospective review of a pediatric level I trauma center database was performed after institutional review board approval was obtained, and information regarding patients who had operations for abdominal trauma was abstracted.

The high morbidity associated with handlebar injuries in children.

Background: Although injury prevention strategies for bicyclists have focused on legislation requiring helmet use to prevent head trauma, direct impact handlebar injuries account for a significant proportion of bicycle-related injuries. Little attention, however, has been paid to strategies that prevent direct impact handlebar injuries. We reviewed our experience with bicycle-related injuries and compared outcome for children who flipped over the handlebars to those for children who sustained direct impact from the handlebars.

Nonmotorized scooters: a source of significant morbidity in children.

Background: Nonmotorized scooters have increased rapidly in popularity over the past year. However, the morbidity associated with this new type of recreational vehicle is poorly defined. This study examined the pattern of scooter-related injuries sustained in children admitted to a level 1 pediatric trauma center.

Duodenal injuries in children: beware of child abuse.

Purpose: It is frequently overlooked that child abuse may result in significant intraabdominal injury, particularly to the duodenum. The authors hypothesized that a significant number of duodenal injuries in young children would be the result of nonaccidental trauma.

Methods: An 8-year (1995 through 2002) retrospective review of a pediatric level I trauma center database was performed after Institutional Review Board approval was obtained, and information regarding patients with duodenal injury was abstracted.

All-terrain vehicle rules and regulations: impact on pediatric mortality.

Background/purpose: All-terrain vehicles (ATV) use by children leads to severe injury and death. Since the US Consumer Product Safety Commission consent decree expired in 1998, there has been little movement in regulating ATV use for children (<16 yr). The authors hypothesized that states with laws and regulations restricting pediatric ATV use may abrogate excess death compared with states without such restrictions.

Falling televisions: The hidden danger for children.

Background/purpose: The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) recently has reported a significant number of injuries and deaths in the home related to televisions (TV) falling on children. To date, little is known regarding the significance of this mechanism of injury in childhood trauma. The current investigation was designed to examine the risk factors, spectrum of injuries, and operative intervention required in children injured by falling televisions.