[1] Children present a unique challenge in trauma care because they are so different from adults - anatomically, developmentally, physiologically and emotionally.

The highest mortality rates occur in children who are treated in rural areas without access trauma centers.

[3] Due to basic geometry, a child's weight to surface area ratio is lower than an adult's, children more readily lose their body heat through radiation and have a higher risk of becoming hypothermic.

[9] More complex classification systems, such as the Revised Trauma Score, APACHE II,[10] and SAPS II[11] add physiologic data to the equation in an attempt to more precisely define the severity, which can be useful in triaging casualties as well as in determining medical management and predicting prognosis.

For this reason, health care providers often employ classification systems that have been modified or even specifically developed for use in the pediatric population.

[12] Emphasizing the importance of body weight and airway diameter, the Pediatric Trauma Score (PTS) was developed to specifically reflect the vulnerability of children to traumatic injury.

[13] The management of pediatric trauma depends on a knowledge of the physiological, anatomical, and developmental differences in comparison to an adult patient, this requires expertise in this area.