Validation of the "CHIIDA" and application for PICU triage in children with complicated mild traumatic brain injury.

Background: The Children's Intracranial Injury Decision Aid (CHIIDA) was developed to predict which patients with complicated mild traumatic brain injury (cmTBI; GCS ≥13 with depressed skull fracture or intracranial injury) would achieve the composite outcome of neurosurgical intervention, intubation >24 h, or death. The study also explored the CHIIDA as a triage tool to determine need for PICU care. The purpose of this study is to externally validate the CHIIDA and assess its effects on PICU triage.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study (January 2016 to December 2017) to validate the CHIIDA to predict the composite outcome and assess its effects as a PICU triage tool at a level 1 pediatric trauma center.

Results: Of 345 patients with cmTBI, the composite outcome occurred in 16 patients (4.6%). At a cutoff score of 2, the CHIIDA predicted the composite outcome with a sensitivity of 94% (95% CI 67-99%) and specificity of 69% (95% CI 64-74%), similar to the original study. Using the same cutoff score for PICU triage resulted in 48 (71%) more patients admitted to PICU.

Conclusions: In our cohort, the CHIIDA predicted the composite outcome well. If applied as a triage tool, it would have resulted in increased unnecessary PICU admissions.

Level Of Evidence: Level III, prognosis.