CT of the head in trauma
Author:
Mikael Häggström [notes 1]
Contents
Planning
Choice of modality
CT of the head in trauma, without IV contrast, is the first choice of investigation.
Settings
Processed images should include thin slices in order to evaluate any skeletal damage.
Indications
In adults, indications mainly include altered mental status, post-traumatic seizure, focal neurologic deficit, vomiting and/or anticoagulant medication.[1] There are various scoring systems for the decision (NICE (UK), NOC (US), CCHR (Canadian), but for the radiologist it is extremely rare to deny a CT if suggested by a clinician, since it is generally a non-contrast and relatively low dose investigation that is analysed relatively fast.
Notes
- ↑ For a full list of contributors, see article history. Creators of images are attributed at the image description pages, seen by clicking on the images. See Radlines:Authorship for details.
References
- ↑ UK: . Head Injury - Algorithm 1: Selection of adults for CT head scan. NICE. 2014
