Computed Tomography Criteria for Mild Head Trauma in Childhood: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

We retrospectively investigated 459 computed tomography (CT) scans of head injuries in children who were 7 years of age or younger that we experienced at our institute from 2008 to 2014, and investigated whether or not the algorithm created by the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network and the guidelines by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which are the standards for CT scans of head injuries in infants, are adequate. As a result, all 12 cases that required surgery or resulted in serious brain damage fell into the category for CT recommendation according to both standards. Although several cases that fell into the category for consideration of CT involved intracranial lesions, all such cases were mild. There were some cases with negligible CT findings that were excluded by both standards. We believe that adapting these standards is significant for reducing the degree to which children are exposed to irradiation.