Penetrating Pediatric Trauma

Violence in Chicago’s South and West side communities does not spare children. African American children bare the bulk of penetrating pediatric trauma in the city of Chicago. Gunshot wound injuries encountered in the pediatric population in the Southside of Chicago presents a treatment problem not routinely managed by pediatric surgeons. Forty-five percent of the pediatric penetrating cases involve children who are less than fourteen years of age. Sixty percent of pediatric trauma happens at night when the operating room in the Children’s Hospital is closed. Comer Children’s Hospital was in existence prior to the opening of the adult trauma center and the merging into one trauma system has been a challenge as there exists two portal of entries into our trauma system. Various coverage models have been explored to maximize the treatment of children who require immediate intervention for unstable presentations from being shot. A blended model is unfolding as the presence of penetrating pediatric trauma to the University of Chicago increases.