Citation

Haider AA, Rhee P, Orouji T, Kulvatunyou N, Hassanzadeh T, Tang A, Farman A, O'Keeffe T, Latifi R, Joseph B. Am. J. Surg. 2015; 210(6): 1088-1094.

Affiliation

Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Arizona Medical Center, 501 North Campbell Avenue, Room 5411, PO Box 245063, Tucson, AZ, 85724, USA. Electronic address: bjoseph@surgery.arizona.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.amjsurg.2015.07.004

PMID

26482515

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The practice of a routine repeat head computed tomographic scans in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is under question. The aim of our study was to evaluate the utility of a more than 1 repeat head computed tomography (M1CT) scans in patients with TBI.

METHODS: We performed a 3-year analysis of a prospectively collected database of all TBI patients presenting to our level I trauma center. Patients who received M1CT scans were included.

FINDINGS and reason (without neurologic decline vs after neurologic decline) for M1CT were recorded. Primary outcome measure was neurosurgical intervention.

RESULTS: A total of 296 patients that underwent M1CT were included. Of those, 291 patients (98.6%) had M1CT without a neurologic decline, and neurosurgical intervention was performed in 1 patient (.3%) who was inexaminable (Glasgow coma scale score = 6). The remaining (n = 5) had M1CT due to a neurologic decline; 4 patients (80%) of the 5 had worsening of ICH; and neurosurgical intervention was performed in 3 (75%) of the 4 patients.

CONCLUSIONS: The practice of multiple repeat head computed tomographic scans should be limited to inexaminable patients or patients with neurological deterioration.

Language: en