CT of the head in trauma

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Author: Mikael Häggström [notes 1]

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), [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/201596 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

  1. 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