scholarly journals Regional Variability in the Use of CT for Patients with Suspected Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Won Hyung A. Ryu ◽  
Anthony Feinstein ◽  
Angela Colantonio ◽  
David L. Streiner ◽  
Deirdre Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Emergency Departments ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Stepwise Logistic Regression ◽  
Regional Variability ◽  
International Classification Of Disease ◽  
Neurological Exam ◽  
Forward Stepwise

Objective:To investigate the use of computed tomography (CT) scans in patients with suspected acute mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) presenting to emergency departments.Method:850 potential mTBI cases were identified through reviews of three months of health records from nine selected emergency departments across the province of Ontario. Records for review were selected using the International Classification of Disease, 9th revision, Clinical Modification codes and Injury codes.Results:Patients who received head CT were significantly older (p<0.01), had documented loss-of-consciousness (LOC) &/or Post-TraumaticAmnesia (PTA) (p<0.001), documented nausea (p<0.01), documented vomiting (p<0.001), abnormal neurological exam results (p<0.01), had visited an urban center (p<0.001), and/or arrived by ambulance (p<0.001). The significant predictors of CT scan prescription (in a forward stepwise logistic regression) were urban location of hospital (OR=5.14; p≤0.001), LOC &/or PTA (OR=4.83; p≤0.001), vomiting (OR=2.56; p≤0.01), arrival by ambulance (OR=2.15; p≤0.001), nausea (OR=1.92; p=≤0.02) and older age (OR=1.02; p≤0.01).Conclusion:These data extend our knowledge regarding the use of CT during acute diagnosis and management of suspected mTBI patients. In addition to confirming previously reported risk factors of intracranial complication, geographical location of hospital and arrival mode were found to be significant predictors of CT use. The results suggest that the management patterns for acute mTBI are inconsistent. The implications of this are discussed.

scholarly journals Head CT overuse in children with a mild traumatic brain injury within two Canadian emergency departments

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-32
Author(s):  
Martin Gariepy ◽  
Jocelyn Gravel ◽  
France Légaré ◽  
Edward R Melnick ◽  
Erik P Hess ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Emergency Departments ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Trauma Centre ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
General Level ◽  
Head Ct ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Background The validated Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Network (PECARN) rule helps determine the relevance of a head computerized tomography (CT) for children with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). We sought to estimate the potential overuse of head CT within two Canadian emergency departments (EDs). Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of children seen in 2016 in a paediatric Level I (site 1) and a general Level II (site 2) trauma centre. We reviewed charts to determine the appropriateness of head CT use according to the PECARN rule in a random subset of children presenting with head trauma. Simple descriptive statistics were applied. Results One thousand five hundred and forty-six eligible patients younger than 17 years consulted during the study period. Of the 203 randomly selected cases per setting, 16 (7.9%) and 24 (12%), respectively from sites 1 and 2 had a head CT performed. Based on the PECARN rule, we estimated the overuse for the younger group (&lt;2 years) to be below 3% for both hospitals without significant difference between them. For the older group (≥2 years), the overuse rate was higher at site 2 (9.3%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.8 to 17% versus 1.2%, 95% CI: 0.2 to 6.5%, P=0.03). Conclusion Both EDs demonstrated overuse rates below 10% although it was higher for the older group at site 2. Such low rates can potentially be explained by the university affiliation of both hospitals and by two Canadian organizations working to raise awareness among physicians about the overuse of diagnostic tools and dangers inherent to radiation.

scholarly journals Isolated subdural hematomas in mild traumatic brain injury. Part 1: the association between radiographic characteristics and neurosurgical intervention

2019 ◽  
Vol 130 (5) ◽  
pp. 1616-1625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Orlando ◽  
A. Stewart Levy ◽  
Benjamin A. Rubin ◽  
Allen Tanner ◽  
Matthew M. Carrick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Scale Score ◽  
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Stepwise Logistic Regression ◽  
Neurosurgical Procedures ◽  
Acute Hemorrhage ◽  
Subdural Hematomas ◽  
Neurosurgical Intervention

OBJECTIVEIsolated subdural hematomas (iSDHs) are one of the most common intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) types in the population with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI; Glasgow Coma Scale score 13–15), account for 66%–75% of all neurosurgical procedures, and have one of the highest neurosurgical intervention rates. The objective of this study was to examine how quantitative hemorrhage characteristics of iSDHs in patients with mTBI at admission are associated with subsequent neurosurgical intervention.METHODSThis was a 3.5-year, retrospective observational cohort study at a Level I trauma center. All adult trauma patients with mTBI and iSDHs were included in the study. Maximum length and thickness (in mm) of acute SDHs, the presence of acute-on-chronic SDH, mass effect, and other hemorrhage-related variables were double–data entered; discrepant results were adjudicated after a maximum of 4 reviews. Patients with coagulopathy, skull fractures, no acute hemorrhage, a non-SDH ICH, or who did not undergo imaging on admission were excluded. The primary outcome was neurosurgical intervention (craniotomy, burr hole, catheter drainage of SDH, placement of intracranial pressure monitor, shunt, or ventriculostomy). Multivariate stepwise logistic regression was used to identify significant covariates and to assess interactions.RESULTSA total of 176 patients were included in our study: 28 patients did and 148 patients did not receive a neurosurgical intervention. Increasing head Abbreviated Injury Scale score was significantly associated with neurosurgical interventions. There was a strong correlation between the first 3 reviews on maximum hemorrhage length (R2 = 0.82) and maximum hemorrhage thickness (R2 = 0.80). The neurosurgical intervention group had a mean maximum SDH length and thickness that were 61 mm longer and 13 mm thicker than those of the nonneurosurgical intervention group (p < 0.001 for both). After adjusting for the presence of an acute-on-chronic hemorrhage, for every 1-mm increase in the thickness of an iSDH, the odds of a neurosurgical intervention increase by 32% (95% CI 1.16–1.50). There were no interventions for any SDH with a maximum thickness ≤ 5 mm on initial presenting scan.CONCLUSIONSThis is the first study to quantify the odds of a neurosurgical intervention based on hemorrhage characteristics in patients with an iSDH and mTBI. Once validated in a second population, these data can be used to better inform patients and families of the risk of future neurosurgical intervention, and to evaluate the necessity of interhospital transfers.

scholarly journals Increased Rates of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Among Older Adults in US Emergency Departments, 2009-2010

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. E1-E7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer S. Albrecht ◽  
Jon Mark Hirshon ◽  
Maureen McCunn ◽  
Kathleen T. Bechtold ◽  
Vani Rao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Emergency Departments

scholarly journals Isolated subdural hematomas in mild traumatic brain injury. Part 2: a preliminary clinical decision support tool for neurosurgical intervention

2019 ◽  
Vol 130 (5) ◽  
pp. 1626-1633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Orlando ◽  
A. Stewart Levy ◽  
Benjamin A. Rubin ◽  
Allen Tanner ◽  
Matthew M. Carrick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Treatment Guidelines ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Stepwise Logistic Regression ◽  
Acute Hemorrhage ◽  
Subdural Hematomas ◽  
Neurosurgical Intervention

OBJECTIVEA paucity of studies have examined neurosurgical interventions in the mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) population with intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Furthermore, it is not understood how the dimensions of an ICH relate to the risk of a neurosurgical intervention. These limitations contribute to a lack of treatment guidelines. Isolated subdural hematomas (iSDHs) are the most prevalent ICH in mTBI, carry the highest neurosurgical intervention rate, and account for an overwhelming majority of all neurosurgical interventions. Decision criteria in this population could benefit from understanding the risk of requiring neurosurgical intervention. The aim of this study was to quantify the risk of neurosurgical intervention based on the dimensions of an iSDH in the setting of mTBI.METHODSThis was a 3.5-year, retrospective observational cohort study at a Level I trauma center. All adult (≥ 18 years) trauma patients with mTBI and iSDH were included in the study. Maximum length and thickness (in mm) of acute SDHs, the presence of acute-on-chronic (AOC) SDH, mass effect, and other hemorrhage-related variables were double–data entered; discrepant results were adjudicated after a maximum of 4 reviews. Patients with coagulopathy, skull fractures, no acute hemorrhage, a non-SDH ICH, or who did not undergo imaging on admission were excluded. Tentorial SDHs were not measured. The primary outcome was neurosurgical intervention (craniotomy, burr holes, intracranial pressure monitor placement, shunt, ventriculostomy, or SDH evacuation). Multivariate stepwise logistic regression was used to identify significant covariates, to assess interactions, and to create the scoring system.RESULTSThere were a total of 176 patients included in our study: 28 patients did and 148 did not receive a neurosurgical intervention. There were no significant differences between neurosurgical intervention groups in 11 demographic and 22 comorbid variables. Patients with neurosurgical intervention had significantly longer and thicker SDHs than nonsurgical controls. Logistic regression identified thickness and AOC hemorrhage as being the most important variables in predicting neurosurgical intervention; SDH length was not. Risk of neurosurgical intervention was calculated based on the SDH thickness and presence of an AOC hemorrhage from a multivariable logistic regression model (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.94, 95% CI 0.90–0.97; p < 0.001). With a decision point of 2.35% risk, we predicted neurosurgical intervention with 100% sensitivity, 100% negative predictive value, and 53% specificity.CONCLUSIONSThis is the first study to quantify the risk of neurosurgical intervention based on hemorrhage characteristics in patients with mTBI and iSDH. Once validated in a second population, these data can be used to inform the necessity of interhospital transfers and neurosurgical consultations.

The Speech-Language Pathologists' Role in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury for Middle and High School–Age Children: Viewpoints on Guidelines From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 1363-1370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Brown ◽  
Katy O'Brien ◽  
Kelly Knollman-Porter ◽  
Tracey Wallace
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
School Age ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Centers For Disease Control

Purpose The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released guidelines for rehabilitation professionals regarding the care of children with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Given that mTBI impacts millions of children each year and can be particularly detrimental to children in middle and high school age groups, access to universal recommendations for management of postinjury symptoms is ideal. Method This viewpoint article examines the CDC guidelines and applies these recommendations directly to speech-language pathology practices. In particular, education, assessment, treatment, team management, and ongoing monitoring are discussed. In addition, suggested timelines regarding implementation of services by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are provided. Specific focus is placed on adolescents (i.e., middle and high school–age children). Results SLPs are critical members of the rehabilitation team working with children with mTBI and should be involved in education, symptom monitoring, and assessment early in the recovery process. SLPs can also provide unique insight into the cognitive and linguistic challenges of these students and can serve to bridge the gap among rehabilitation and school-based professionals, the adolescent with brain injury, and their parents. Conclusion The guidelines provided by the CDC, along with evidence from the field of speech pathology, can guide SLPs to advocate for involvement in the care of adolescents with mTBI. More research is needed to enhance the evidence base for direct assessment and treatment with this population; however, SLPs can use their extensive knowledge and experience working with individuals with traumatic brain injury as a starting point for post-mTBI care.

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