@article{ref1,
title="The utility of head computed tomography after minimal head injury",
journal="Journal of trauma",
year="1999",
author="Nagy, K. K. and Joseph, K. T. and Krosner, S. M. and Roberts, R. R. and Leslie, C. L. and Dufty, K. and Smith, R. F. and Barrett, J.",
volume="46",
number="2",
pages="268-270",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: To determine if patients who present with a history of loss of consciousness who are neurologically intact (minimal head injury) should be managed with head computed tomography (CT), observation, or both. METHODS: We prospectively studied patients who presented to our urban Level I trauma center with a history of loss of consciousness after blunt trauma and a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 15. All patients underwent CT of the head and were subsequently admitted for 24 hours of observation. RESULTS: A total of 1,170 patients with minimal head injury were studied during a 35-month period. All patients had Glasgow Coma Scale scores of 15 on arrival and had a history of either loss of consciousness or amnesia to the event. Two hundred forty-seven patients (21.1%) were intoxicated with drugs or alcohol on admission; 39 patients (3.3%) had abnormalities detected by CT, including 18 intracranial bleeds; 21 patients (1.8%) had changes in therapy as a direct result of their CT results, including 4 operative procedures. No patient with negative CT results deteriorated during the subsequent observation period. CONCLUSION: CT is a useful test in patients with minimal head injury because it may lead to a change in therapy in a small but significant number of patients. Subsequent hospital observation adds nothing to the CT results and is not necessary in patients with isolated minimal head injury.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0022-5282",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}