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Long-Term Health-Related Quality of Life in Major Pediatric Trauma: A Pilot Study

  • Original Article
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European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background:

Major trauma is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in children of developed countries. Little research has been done about the health-related quality of life (HRQL) in these children. The aim of the current research is to describe the HRQL of children in the long term after major trauma and to compare it with healthy peers.

Methods:

A prospective cohort study of severely injured children (ISS ≥ 16, age < 16 years) who survived the trauma and were admitted to the emergency department of a Dutch level 1 trauma center in 1999 and 2000 (n = 40) was conducted. Between 6 and 8 years after trauma (mean 7.3, SD 0.7 years), outcome was assessed by the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL 4.0), the EuroQol 5D (EQ-5D), and the EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS).

Results:

The mean age at the time of the accident was 8.9 years (SD 4.6 years), the mean ISS was 24.9 (SD 11.1), and 25 (63%) cases were male; 28 out of 40 patients were followed up. The mean score on the PedsQL was 81.2 and this did not differ significantly from the norm value. On the EQ-5D, more health problems were reported than in a healthy reference population. The mean EQ-VAS score was 79.4 and was significantly lower than in healthy peers. The lowest scores on the PedsQL and the EQ-VAS were seen in teenagers and in respondents with spinal cord and/or severe cerebral injury.

Conclusion:

The results on HRQL in children in the long term after major trauma are inconclusive. Special attention should be given to teenagers with spinal cord or severe cerebral injury who reported the lowest HRQL.

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Abbreviations

CHQ::

Child Health Questionnaire

EQ- 5D:

EuroQol 5D

EQ-VAS::

EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale

HRQL::

Health-related quality of life

ISS::

Injury Severity Score

PedsQL::

Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory

SPSS::

Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

UMCU::

University Medical Center Utrecht

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Loes Janssens & Herman R. Holtslag MD, PhD

  2. Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine Utrecht, Rehabilitation Center ‘De Hoogstraat’ Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Loes Janssens & Marjolijn Ketelaar

  3. Canchild, Centre for Childhood Disability Research, Institute for Applied Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Jan Willem Gorter

  4. Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Marjolijn Ketelaar & Herman R. Holtslag MD, PhD

  5. Department of Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Traumatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    William L. M. Kramer

  6. Department of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Herman R. Holtslag MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Loes Janssens
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  2. Jan Willem Gorter
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  3. Marjolijn Ketelaar
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  4. William L. M. Kramer
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  5. Herman R. Holtslag MD, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Herman R. Holtslag MD, PhD.

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Janssens, L., Gorter, J.W., Ketelaar, M. et al. Long-Term Health-Related Quality of Life in Major Pediatric Trauma: A Pilot Study. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 35, 371–377 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-009-8217-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-009-8217-y

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