Analysis of the Patients Hospitalised in Paediatric Trauma Centers in Poland in 2019

BACKGROUND: Paediatric trauma centers (PTCs) are facilities that were established to provide traumatised patients with fast, accurate diagnoses and optimal treatments. In Poland, they have been functioning since 2017. Our research aimed to assess the overall activity of the PTCs and cross-sectional data of their patients in Poland in 2019. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We have analysed data provided by the National Health Fund (NHF) about the activity of seven trauma centers for children. For the PTC in the Paediatric Teaching Clinical Hospital University Clinical Center of the Medical University of Warsaw, we have gathered the data from the internal documentation system. RESULTS: In Poland, in 2019, there were seven operating PTCs. During that year, they hospitalised 195 severely traumatised patients. The available data have shown that no specialised tracking system of children admitted to PTCs was used; we have obtained data reporting final diagnoses, not the preliminary ones. Summarising the data from the PTC in Warsaw, in the first year of its operation there were 32 patients admitted, of which only 8 have met the criteria of admission. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the small number of patients reported, it is difficult to draw specific conclusions about the efficacy of PTCs in Poland. Obtaining reliable data is difficult, as there is no paediatric trauma patients database. To assess and improve the quality of PTCs, it would be profitable to create a national system monitoring the events and collecting data on the treatment results.