The Evaluation of Patients Admitted due to Minor Head Trauma with Clinical Decision Rules

Abstract

Aim: We aimed to identify patients admitted to pediatric emergency service due to head trauma using clinical decision-making rules.
 Methods: This is a prospective cohort study involving who referred to a tertiary university hospital pediatric emergency service due to minor head trauma. Evaluations were made with PECARN, CATCH and CHALICE clinical decision rules.
 Results: 326 cases were included in the study. 63.5% (207) of the cases were male, and their ages were 52±52 months (min: 1 day - max: 214 months). 61.9% (202) of the cases were admitted due to a fall. 15.3% (49) cases presenting with minör head trauma had a (computize tomography)CT performed. In cases under the age of three months the CT scan rate was 66.6%, while it was 11% in cases over three months. 50% of the cases who had a CT scan satisfied the clinical decision rules. However, two cases who had traumatic brain injury(TBI) in the CT could not be determined with clinical decision rules. There was a statistically significant correlation between the presence of severe mechanism of injury and TBI findings in the CT(p