Pediatric pedestrian injuries and associated hospital resource utilization in the United States, 2003.

Background: The objective was to calculate national estimates of pedestrian-related hospitalizations and associated use of healthcare resources among children

Methods: Data from the 2003 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Database were used. The sample included patients

Results: In 2003, 9,172 pedestrian-associated hospitalizations occurred among children or=16. A traffic-related event was the cause of 92.7% of hospitalizations. Older age, higher injury severity, urban and Western hospital location, children's hospital type, and longer LOS were significantly associated with higher total hospital charges. Older age and higher injury severity were significantly associated with longer LOS.

Conclusions: Pediatric pedestrian injuries contribute substantially to the healthcare resource burden in the United States, accounting for approximately 45,000 days of hospitalization and >USD 290 million in inpatient charges annually.