The patient with head injury and a Glasgow coma score of 15: Is a brain CT examination indicated?
The decision as to whether to perform a CT examination of the brain in patients with a Glasgow coma score of 15 after injury is often difficult, given the limited CT scanning facilities available in state hospitals. A retrospective evaluation of 100 consecutive head-injury patients presenting with a...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AOSIS
2003-08-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Radiology |
| Online Access: | https://sajr.org.za/index.php/sajr/article/view/1391 |
| Summary: | The decision as to whether to perform a CT examination of the brain in patients with a Glasgow coma score of 15 after injury is often difficult, given the limited CT scanning facilities available in state hospitals. A retrospective evaluation of 100 consecutive head-injury patients presenting with a Glasgow coma score of 15 at Tygerberg Hospital was therefore carried out. In a surprisingly high number of patients (50%) abnormal findings due to the injury were detected. Analysis of the clinical history parameters did not demonstrate a significant association with abnormal CT findings. It is therefore concluded that brain CT examination in patients with a Glasgow coma score of 15 is justified and that the Glasgow coma scale is a poor predictor of intracranial injury. |
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| ISSN: | 1027-202X 2078-6778 |