Study: observation is a good strategy when caring for children who present with minor blunt head trauma.

A new study bolsters earlier findings that children who present to the ED with minor blunt head trauma can benefit from a period of observation before physicians decide whether to order computed tomography (CT) scans. Researchers note that the strategy significantly reduces the number of CTs that are required in these cases, reducing the risks associated with exposure to ionizing radiation. In a single-center study, researchers compared children who were observed with children who were not observed prior to CT decisions being made. They found that every hour of observation time was associated with a decrease in the CT rate. Just 5% of the patients who were observed proceeded to undergo CT scans; 34% of the patients who were not observed underwent immediate CT scans. Researchers note that troubling symptoms such as headache, vomiting, or altered mental status often resolve with time, negating the need for a CT scan. While more than 500,000 children present to EDs in the United States each year with blunt head trauma injuries, very few are found to have significant traumatic brain injuries.