[Indications for brain scan in patients presenting benign cranial injury].
OBJECTIVE
Validate the clinical criteria, which, when absent, would make it safe to bypass CT scan examination in mild cranial injuries.


METHODS
and methods. Prospective study including 285 patients with mild cranial injury with a Glasgow score of 15, a normal clinical examination but transitory loss of consciousness or suspected transitory loss of consciousness. The following clinical parameters were systematically reviewed: history of stroke; post-injury headache; post-injury vomiting; alcohol, medication, or drug intoxication; clinical signs of cervico-cranio-facial injury; post-injury convulsions; or coagulation impairment. Systematic CT exploration looked for cranial, encephalic, and facial lesions and individualized the lesions requiring neurosurgical or maxillofacial treatment.


RESULTS
Of the patients studied, 7% presented a cranioencephalic lesion and 7% a facial bone lesion. Neurosurgical intervention was necessary in 0.4% of the patients and maxillofacial surgery in 2.5%. Patients with a positive CT all had at least one clinical risk factor and patients with cranioencephalic lesions had at least two risk factors present. Had patients with no risk factors not been scanned, 15% of the patients would not have had the CT procedure.


CONCLUSIONS
Selecting CT indications in cases of mild cranial injury with loss of consciousness using a simple and validated evaluation can save 15% of CT procedures without missing any cranial, encephalic, or facial lesions.
Manessiez
O
O
Service des Urgences, Hôpital Lapeyronie, 371 avenue du Doyen Gaston Giraud, 34295 Montpellier, France.
Aufort
S
S
King
J P
JP
De Champfleur
N Menjot
NM
Benatia
P
P
Taourel
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000150:complications; D001778:Blood Coagulation Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000293:injuries; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D011041:Poisoning / Q000150:complications; D051298:Post-Traumatic Headache / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D020196:Trauma, Nervous System / Q000150:complications; D014474:Unconsciousness / Q000209:etiology; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology