Which of the following anatomic considerations in children are important to better understand trauma in this age group?
I. Children have less body fat.
II. Children have a small surface area relative to volume.
III. Children's skeletons are more pliable.
IV. Children have a greater distribution of force per unit body area of smaller body mass.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The initial evaluation and resuscitation of the pediatric trauma patient directly impacts outcomes and plays an important role in diagnosing life-threatening injuries requiring immediate intervention. The themes of management are similar to those of adult trauma resuscitation; however, there are unique physiological, anatomical, and social considerations that make resuscitation in children challenging. Children have greater physiologic reserves that allow them to compensate for severe injuries making it important for the treating clinicians to recognize these injuries early in their course. By the time alterations in physiology are appreciated (heart rate, blood pressure), the patient may be close to cardiovascular collapse. Furthermore, children have more pliable bones, and thus blunt force trauma may result in internal organ injury without overlying fracture. In addition, visceral organs in children are relatively large compared to their body size and encroach more readily on one another, making multiple simultaneous organ injuries more common. Lastly, non-accidental trauma must always be carefully considered as a possible mechanism of injury.

Which of the Following Anatomic Considerations in Children Are Important