Audit of paediatric surgical intensive care unit admissions in north Jordan.

An audit was carried out over a 12-month period at a district general hospital in the north of Jordan. The study aimed to establish the reasons for and outcome of paediatric intensive care unit admissions. Of the 854 admissions, 107 were paediatric surgical cases. The causes of trauma were: road traffic accident (42 cases), burns (35) and falls (18). The remaining 12 cases were either post-operative admissions (7 cases) or acute admissions (5 cases). A total of 31 patients died and 8 children were left with significant disability or brain death. We conclude that trauma is a significant cause of disability, morbidity and mortality in children in our area. Society as a whole needs to look at the causes of childhood trauma and identify ways of reducing it.