Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Dec;210(6):1088-93; discussion 1093-4.
doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2015.07.004. Epub 2015 Sep 18.

A second look at the utility of serial routine repeat computed tomographic scans in patients with traumatic brain injury

Ansab A Haider  1 , Peter Rhee  1 , Tahereh Orouji  1 , Narong Kulvatunyou  1 , Tania Hassanzadeh  1 , Andrew Tang  1 , Adil Farman  1 , Terence O'Keeffe  1 , Rifat Latifi  1 , Bellal Joseph  2
Affiliations

A second look at the utility of serial routine repeat computed tomographic scans in patients with traumatic brain injury

Ansab A Haider et al. Am J Surg. 2015 Dec.

Abstract

Background: The practice of a routine repeat head computed tomographic scans in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is under question. The aim of our study was to evaluate the utility of a more than 1 repeat head computed tomography (M1CT) scans in patients with TBI.

Methods: We performed a 3-year analysis of a prospectively collected database of all TBI patients presenting to our level I trauma center. Patients who received M1CT scans were included. Findings and reason (without neurologic decline vs after neurologic decline) for M1CT were recorded. Primary outcome measure was neurosurgical intervention.

Results: A total of 296 patients that underwent M1CT were included. Of those, 291 patients (98.6%) had M1CT without a neurologic decline, and neurosurgical intervention was performed in 1 patient (.3%) who was inexaminable (Glasgow coma scale score = 6). The remaining (n = 5) had M1CT due to a neurologic decline; 4 patients (80%) of the 5 had worsening of ICH; and neurosurgical intervention was performed in 3 (75%) of the 4 patients.

Conclusions: The practice of multiple repeat head computed tomographic scans should be limited to inexaminable patients or patients with neurological deterioration.

Keywords: More than 1 repeat scans; Neurologic decline; Neurosurgical intervention; Radiological progression; Serial CT scans; Traumatic brain injury.

PubMed Disclaimer