EFFECTIVENESS OF STANDARDIZED PEDIATRIC TRAUMA MANAGEMENT PROTOCOLS IN REDUCING COMPLICATIONS AND MORTALITY IN SAUDI EMERGENCY UNITS

Trauma is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children worldwide, with pediatric patients in Saudi Arabia frequently affected by road traffic accidents, falls, and other injuries. Despite the existence of trauma care services, variability in clinical assessment and management across emergency units can adversely affect outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of standardized pediatric trauma management protocols in reducing complications and mortality, and in improving care efficiency in Saudi emergency departments. A retrospective observational study was conducted, analyzing 155 pediatric trauma cases extracted from electronic medical records across tertiary, secondary, and regional hospitals. Key variables included age, injury severity score, time to first assessment, time to definitive care, length of hospital stay, sex, mechanism of injury, complications, mortality, and protocol adherence. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, t-tests, and logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results demonstrated that protocol implementation was significantly associated with reduced complications and mortality, shorter times to definitive care, and decreased hospital length of stay. Moreover, higher adherence to protocols independently predicted improved survival outcomes. These findings highlight the critical role of structured trauma management protocols, alongside staff training and system-level coordination, in enhancing pediatric trauma care quality and patient safety in Saudi emergency settings.