Routine repeat head CT may not be necessary for patients with mild TBI

Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open
Claire B RosenDeborah M Stein

Abstract

Routine repeat cranial CT (RHCT) is standard of care for CT-verified traumatic brain injury (TBI). Despite mixed evidence, those with mild TBI are subject to radiation and expense from serial CT scans. Thus, we investigated the necessity and utility of RHCT for patients with mild TBI. We hypothesized that repeat head CT in these patients would not alter patient care or outcomes. We retrospectively studied patients suffering from mild TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score 13-15) and treated at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center from November 2014 through January 2015. The primary outcome was the need for surgical intervention. Outcomes were compared using paired Student's t-test, and stratified by injury on initial CT, GCS change, demographics, and presenting vital signs (mean ± SD). Eighty-five patients met inclusion criteria with an average initial GCS score=14.6±0.57. Our center sees about 2800 patients with TBI per year, or about 230 per month. This includes patients with concussions. This sample represents about 30% of patients with TBI seen during the study period. Ten patients required operation (four based on initial CT and others for worsening GCS, headaches, large unresolving injury). There was progression of injury ...Continue Reading

Citations

Jul 31, 2020·Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal = Journal L'Association Canadienne Des Radiologistes·Ravishankar Pillenahalli MaheshwarappaGirish Bathla
Jun 17, 2020·Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open·Abid D KhanRichard P Gonzalez
Feb 19, 2021·Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery·Matthew W WeberAlex P Michael
Mar 24, 2021·European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery : Official Publication of the European Trauma Society·Yusuf Karanci, Cem Oktay
Apr 6, 2019·Journal of Neuroradiology. Journal De Neuroradiologie·Pierre-Jean PagesAymeric Rouchaud
Oct 20, 2020·The American Journal of Emergency Medicine·Katherine RhameNatalie Kreitzer
Jul 25, 2021·European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery : Official Publication of the European Trauma Society·Shou-Chi ChienChih-Yuan Fu

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Brain Injury & Trauma

brain injury after impact to the head is due to both immediate mechanical effects and delayed responses of neural tissues.