UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: Trauma

Title: CT for uncertain head injury in geriatric patients

Keywords: Ct, head injury, geriatric (PubMed Search)

Posted: 1/28/2024 by Robert Flint, MD (Emailed: 2/4/2024) (Updated: 2/4/2024)
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In this prospective study looking at geriatric patients with unknown head injury vs. known head injury, the unknown head injury group had an ICH 1.5%, neurosurgical intervention 0.3% and delayed ICH 0.1% when compared to known head injury (10.5%,  1.2% and 0.7% respectively).  The authors concluded that the risk of ICH was high enough in uncertain head injury patients to warrant scanning.

References

Turchiaro ML Jr, Solano JJ, Clayton LM, Hughes PG, Shih RD, Alter SM. Computed Tomography Imaging of Geriatric Patients with Uncertain Head Trauma. J Emerg Med. 2023 Dec;65(6):e511-e516. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2023.07.009. Epub 2023 Jul 26. PMID: 37838489.