Evaluation of overuse of Head Computerized Tomography scan on traumatic brain injury pediatric patients

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among pediatric patients. Head Computerized Tomography (CT) scan has the undoubtedly benefit of diagnosing TBI lesions but is also associated with increased risk of cancer due to radiation. This study was composed of 190 patients evaluated in the emergency setting of a pediatric Brazilian hospital from January 2019 to December 2021. The results of the study demonstrated an increased amount of CT scans in patients with mild TBI during this period. Besides, we noticed that many of these CT scans showed normal results or clinically insignificant findings such as subgaleal hematomas. Knowing the risks related to radiation exposure at such a young age makes us question the validity of the hospital protocol we are following. Also, we believe that a future solution to this issue would be to implement radiation-free complimentary exams such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to our hospital protocol. Emphasizing the importance of justification of procedures and optimization of radiation doses are also crucial to prevent cancer development in pediatric patients.