title: [Minor head injuries. May early CT-scanning replace in-hospital observation?].
abstract: A one-year prospective study was undertaken to judge whether in-hospital observation after minor head injury could be partly replaced by early computerized tomography (CT), and if such a practice would save hospital resources. All 146 patients had a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) > or = 14 and no neurological deficits. 128 had suffered loss of consciousness. CT of 97 (67%) patients revealed intracranial lesions in eight (contusions six, oedema one and epidural haematoma in one). Mean duration of hospitalization was 9.4 days in patients with intracranial lesions and 1.6 days in patients without such lesions. We observed no complications to the head injury in patients with normal CT. There is no need for hospitalization after minor head injury in patients with GCS > or = 14 with no neurological deficits and normal CT. We advocated wide use of early CT in cases of minor head injury, to allow early detection of intracranial haematomas, diagnoses of brain contusions and avoidance of unnecessary hospitalization.
authors.affiliation: Nevrokirurgisk avdeling, Regionsykehuset i Tromsø.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ingebrigtsen
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Trumpy
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Anke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D017046:Cost Savings; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
vernacular_title: Lette hodeskader. Kan tidling CT-undersøkelse erstatte observasjon i sykehus?