Pediatric Trauma

This book aims to comprehensively address its focus on one of the most challenging conditions that a doctor may have to deal with.

It is a widespread belief that pediatric trauma has unique characteristics that distinguish children from adults. These characteristics result in significant epidemiological, anatomical, and physiological differences that directly impact the management of pediatric trauma. 

Another factor that makes approaching pediatric trauma even more challenging is the relative rarity of major trauma cases. This often leads to studies with statistically less significant data, making it difficult to establish strong guidelines and challenges in training and maintaining expertise. In this regard, simulation is considered the most effective training tool, not only concerning clinical management but also in addressing the psychological aspects of patients and their families. For this reason, the authors have chosen to include chapters that address these issues in the text. Additionally, it is essential to emphasize that pediatric trauma is predictable in over 90% of cases, making prevention an indispensable component of the entire subject. Lastly, the presence of a network within the region that organizes the most suitable treatment with patient centralization protocols for pediatric trauma is of paramount importance. Therefore, the authors have deemed it appropriate to begin the work with an initial chapter that illustrates this topic.

This volume – addressed to Emergency Medicine specialists, anesthesiologist, pediatrics, intensivists and surgeons, as well – does not aim to create experts in the management of pediatric trauma, but rather to provide useful information as a cultural support for those who may encounter such situations more frequently.

Prof. Leonardo Bussolin, past Chief of Pediatric Trauma Center Meyer Children Hospital in Florence, is a specialist in Anaesthesia and Resuscitation. He has worked at numerous Florentine hospitals dealing with anaesthesia in the adult patient in general, vascular, thoracic, orthopaedic, obstetric-gynaecological and paediatric surgery. Prof. Bussolin teaches Paediatric Anaesthesia at the School of Specialisation in Anaesthesia and Resuscitation and Neuroanesthesia at the School of Specialisation in Child Neuropsychiatry in Florence. Since 2009 he has been director of the Trauma Centre and since 2013 of the paediatric neuroanesthesia and neuroreanimation unit at the AOU Meyer. He has also published a number of scientific articles in leading international scientific journals.

Prof. Giorgio Conti is Director of the Pediatric Intensive Care and Trauna Center at Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS. Prof Conti is author of more than 150 publications on the main aspects of anaesthesia and intensive care: in particular, author of numerous studies on artificial ventilation, non-invasive analysis of respiratory mechanics, the pathophysiology of acute and chronic respiratory failure and the respiratory effects of anaesthetic drugs, published in leading international specialist journals (The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Chest, Intensive Care medicine, American Journal of respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Acta Anaestesiologica Scandinavica, Critical Care Medicine, Journal of Applied Physiology, Shock, Transplantation Proceedings, Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine, Archives of Internal Medicine, Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography, Clinical Drug Investigation, Reanimation et Urgences, Critical Care Forum, Journal of Critical Care, Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia, Anaesthesia). He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Anesthesia, Analgesia and Critical Care (JAACC, published byBMC part of Springer Nature), the official publication of SIAARTI (the Italian Society of Anesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care).