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Abdominal Blunt Trauma in Children

ABCD database

 Abdominal Blunt Trauma in Children: A Dutch National Database. Cohort
Abdominal Blunt Trauma in Children: A Dutch National Database.
The ABCD database is a national clinical database developed to support research on blunt abdominal trauma in children under 18 years of age.

By collecting both retrospective and prospective data from all Dutch paediatric surgical centres, ABCD aims to answer research questions, reduce variation in clinical practice, and provide a foundation for national guidelines. The database focuses on injury patterns, diagnostic imaging, treatment strategies, and clinical outcomes. As a nationwide initiative, ABCD offers a new infrastructure for research into rare but high-impact injuries in paediatric trauma care.

The ABCD database aims to:

  • collect nationwide data on paediatric blunt abdominal trauma to enable high-quality clinical research;
  • gain insight into current diagnostic and treatment practices across Dutch paediatric surgical centres;
  • assess the clinical value and timing of imaging and interventions, such as CT, MRI, and radiological procedures;
  • identify best practices and areas of variation to inform the development of national clinical recommendations;
  • establish a sustainable research infrastructure to facilitate future studies on rare but impactful paediatric injuries.
     

    • The ABCD database includes children who sustained blunt abdominal trauma and were admitted to a Dutch trauma centre with paediatric surgical care. 
    • All patients under 18 years of age with blunt abdominal trauma, admitted between 2018 and 2035. This includes patients with injuries to abdominal organs such as the spleen, liver, pancreas, , stomach, bowel, kidneys, and bladder.
    • An estimated 4000–5000 patients will be included, based on retrospective data from 2018–2025 and prospective enrolment until 2035.
       

  • Please visit the UMCG Research Data Catalogue for more detailed information on our data and samples.

    • Demographics and trauma mechanism
    • Imaging findings (ultrasound, CT, MRI)
    • Laboratory values (e.g. Hb, CRP, amylase)
    • Treatment details (non-operative and surgical interventions)
    • Length of stay, ICU admission, and complications
       

  • Publications will be added as the database is used for research. A list will be made available here.

Relevance

How the ABCD database benefits to society

The ABCD database enables insight into rare but severe paediatric injuries that are currently understudied due to low individual hospital volumes.
By uniting data from all paediatric surgery centres, the database can help refine diagnostic pathways, limit unnecessary radiation exposure, and improve outcomes for children after abdominal trauma. For example, the results may help avoid CT scans in stable patients or promote best practices for non-operative treatment.

Contact

Stefan Baggel Researcher

University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
Department of Paediatric Surgery
9700 RB Groningen
The Netherlands

Visiting address
University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
Antonius Deusinglaan 1
9713 AV Groningen

More information visit our website