Predicting factors for abnormal brain computed tomography in children with minor head trauma

Predicting factors for abnormal brain computed tomography in children with minor head trauma

Minor head trauma, Children, Traumatic brain injury, Brain computed tomography scan

Background: Deciding whether a cranial Computed Tomography (CT) scan in a patient with minor head trauma
(MHT) is necessary or not has always been challenging. Diagnosing Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a fundamental
part of MHT managing especially in children who are more vulnerable in terms of brain CT radiation consequences
and TBI. Defining some indications to timely and efficiently predict the likelihood of TBI is necessary. Thus, we
aimed to determine the impact of clinical findings to predict the need for brain CT in children with MHT.
Methods: In a prospective cohort study, 200 children (2 to 14 years) with MHT were included from 2019 to 2020.
The data of MHT-related clinical findings were gathered. The primary and secondary outcomes were defined as a
positive brain CT and any TBI requiring neurosurgery intervention, respectively. In statistical analysis, we performed
Binary Logistic regression analysis, Fisher’s exact test and independent samples t-test using SPSS V.26.
Results: The mean age of participants was 6.5 ± 3.06 years. Ninety patients underwent brain CT. The most common
clinical finding and injury mechanism were headache and falling from height, respectively. The results of brain CTs
were positive in seven patients (3.5%). We identified three predicting factors for an abnormal brain CT including
headache, decreased level of consciousness, and vomiting.
Conclusion: We showed that repetitive vomiting (≥2), headache, and decreased level of consciousness are
predicting factors for an abnormal brain CT in children with MHT.

Taraneh Naghibi, Mina Rostami, Behrad Jamali, Zhaleh Karimimoghaddam, Alireza Zeraatchi and Asghar Jafari Rouhi

BMC Emergency Medicine

(2021) 21:142

Fajar Bagus W

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Indonesia

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