ArticleThe Journal of surgical research2012
Predictors of positive head CT scan and neurosurgical procedures after minor head trauma.
Article in The Journal of surgical research, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Blood-Based Protein Biomarkers for the Management of Traumatic Brain Injuries in Adults Presenting to Emergency Departments with Mild Brain Injury: A Living Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of neurotrauma · 2021Pooled it
- Systematic Review of Sex and Gender Effects in Traumatic Brain Injury: Equity in Clinical and Functional Outcomes.Frontiers in neurology · 2021Pooled it
- Score to scan: Is there a link between Glasgow Coma Scale score and CT neuroimaging findings in trauma?SA journal of radiology · 2026Article
- Incidence of surgically treated chronic subdural hematoma after head injury with normal initial computed tomography.Acta neurochirurgica · 2024Article
- Article
- Factors associated with adverse outcomes in patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage and Glasgow Coma Scale of 15.The American journal of emergency medicine · 2017Article
- Repeat neuroimaging of mild traumatic brain-injured patients with acute traumatic intracranial hemorrhage: clinical outcomes and radiographic features.Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine · 2014Article
- Predictors of sepsis in moderately severely injured patients: an analysis of the National Trauma Data Bank.Surgical infections · 2013Article
- What's New in Critical Illness and Injury Science? The role of a cranial computed tomography scoring tool in the care of older trauma patients.International journal of critical illness and injury scienceArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThere continues to be an ongoing debate regarding the utility of head CT scans in patients with a normal Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) after minor head injury. The objective of this study is to determine patient and injury characteristics that predict a positive head CT scan or need for a neurosurgical procedure (NSP) among patients with blunt head injury and a normal GCS. MATERIALS AND
methodsRetrospective analysis of adult patients in the National Trauma Data Bank who presented to the ED with a history of blunt head injury and a normal GCS of 15. The primary outcomes were a positive head CT scan or a NSP. Multivariate logistic regression controlling for patient and injury characteristics was used to determine predictors of each outcome.
resultsOut of a total of 83,566 patients, 24,414 (29.2%) had a positive head CT scan and 3476 (4.2%) underwent a NSP. Older patients and patients with a history of fall (compared with a motor vehicle crash) were more likely to have a positive finding on a head CT scan. Male patients, African-Americans (compared with Caucasians), and those who presented with a fall were more likely to have a NSP.
conclusionsOlder age, male gender, ethnicity, and mechanism of injury are significant predictors of a positive finding on head CT scans and the need for neurosurgical procedures. This study highlights patient and injury-specific characteristics that may help in identifying patients with supposedly minor head injury who will benefit from a head CT scan.
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