@article{ref1,
title="Occult head injury in children less than 2 years with suspected child abuse in the emergency department",
journal="Pediatric emergency care",
year="2017",
author="Shaikh, Huma and Wrotniak, Brian H. and Mazur, Paula M.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the frequency of clinically significant findings requiring emergent neurosurgical intervention on computed tomography (CT) in neurologically intact children admitted to the hospital with suspected abuse. <br><br>METHODS: This was a retrospective review of neurologically stable children (0-24 months) in whom both skeletal survey and CT head were performed for child abuse evaluation from 2000 to 2011. <br><br>RESULTS: A total of 132 patients met inclusion criteria (mean age, 7.6 mo; 55% male, 52% Caucasian, and 34% African-American). Computed tomography scans demonstrated occult head injury in 5%; none required neurosurgical intervention or had any neurological deterioration. Average length of stay was 4 days, with average time to CT scan being 12.8 hours from triage, and average time to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of 70.5 hours. Five MRIs were performed, and 4 had identical results on CT scan. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: No clinically significant brain injury (requiring intervention) was seen in this cohort. These findings support delaying imaging in neurologically intact children to obtain MRI after hospital admission, thus, limiting radiation exposure.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0749-5161",
doi="10.1097/PEC.0000000000001187",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PEC.0000000000001187"
}