Abusive Abdominal Injury Associated with Worse Outcomes Than Nonabusive Injury in Children

Researchers compared children (age range, 0–9 years) hospitalized for abusive abdominal trauma (234 children) and nonabusive abdominal trauma (4200 children) using data from a national database of inpatient hospitalizations in 2003 and 2006. Injury severity scores were similar in the two groups.

Compared with children with noninflicted abdominal trauma, children with inflicted abdominal trauma were significantly younger (mean age, 2 vs. 5 years), poorer, and more likely to be from a minority group. Abusive injury was associated with longer hospital stays (mean, 6 vs. 8 days), more procedures, and higher hospital charges. The mean mortality rate in children older than 1 year with abusive injury was significantly higher than in children with n…