ABSTRACT
As the leading cause of death and disability in children, pediatric trauma accounts for some 11 million hospitalizations, 100,000 permanent disabilities, and 15,000 childhood deaths every year in the United States. Regrettably, the incidence of pediatric trauma in the United States is among the highest in the world, reflecting both the dangers of our highly mechanized society as well as the reality of urban violence, including that related to firearms (1). Furthermore, despite an overall decrease in rates of violent crime, rates of significant pediatric trauma have not experienced the same decline, and fatal injury resulting from violence may actually be increasing (2,3). While children more often survive significant polytrauma than adults, long-term morbidity is all too common. Four children are left with permanent disability for every trauma-related mortality (1). This statistic highlights the need to assess long-term functional status and quality of life in this population.
