CT or not CT--that is the question. Whether 'tis better to evaluate clinically and x ray than to undertake a CT head scan!

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the usage of computed tomography (CT) head scanning in children at the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital after the publication of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines on the management of head injury.

METHODS

The Accident and Emergency case records of all children presenting with a head injury over a three month period were reviewed and the number of attendances, radiographs, and CT head scans undertaken were noted. Also noted was the number of additional CT head scans that would have been performed if the NICE guidelines had been rigidly followed.

RESULTS

Five hundred and thirty seven children were included in the study: 67% were boys. Two hundred and ten (39%) had skull radiographs: six demonstrated skull fractures and eight (1.5%) underwent CT head scan, with one positive report of a skull fracture. There were no reports of intracranial abnormalities. Ninety nine (18.4%) were admitted. Strictly applying all the NICE criteria for CT scanning would have resulted in an additional 54 patients being scanned.

CONCLUSION

Rigid adherence to the NICE guidelines in all children with head injuries would have resulted in an almost eightfold increase in CT head scans performed. None of these children had clinical signs of intracranial injury and would have been exposed to a large amount of ionising radiation. The use of guidelines in practice must always be considered in conjunction with clinical judgement.