Indications for computed tomography use and frequency of traumatic abnormalities based on real-world data of 2405 pediatric patients with minor head trauma.

BACKGROUND

In pediatric patients with minor head trauma, computed tomography (CT) is often performed beyond the scope of recommendations that are based on existing algorithms. Herein, we evaluated pediatric patients with minor head trauma who underwent CT examinations, quantified its frequency, and determined how often traumatic findings were observed in the intracranial region or skull.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and neuroimages of pediatric patients (0-5 years) who presented at our hospital with minor head trauma within 24 h after injury.

RESULTS

Of 2405 eligible patients, 1592 (66.2%) underwent CT examinations and 45 (1.9%) had traumatic intracranial hemorrhage or skull fracture on CT. No patient underwent surgery or intensive treatment. Multivariate analyses revealed that an age of 1-5 years (vs. <1 year;

CONCLUSION

Although slightly broader indications for CT use, compared to the previous algorithms, could detect and evaluate minor traumatic changes in pediatric patients with minor head trauma, over-indications for CT examinations to detect only approximately 2% of abnormalities should be avoided and the indications should be determined based on the patient's age, condition, and cause of injury.

Informations de copyright

Copyright: © 2021 Surgical Neurology International.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

There are no conflicts of interest.