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September 20, 2009
Study indicates many children with apparently minor head trauma may not need CT scans.
The Sacramento Bee (9/15, A. Tong) reports that, according to investigators from the University of California-Davis, "a significant portion of children with seemingly minor head trauma do not need a CT scan."
Specifically, "researchers analyzed the cases of more than 42,000 children younger than 18 with apparently minor head trauma in 25 hospitals across the country," finding that "of these children, 20 percent over age two and almost 25 percent under age two were at very low risk of serious brain damage, rendering the CT scan needless." The study authors pointed out that in such cases, the benefit of "catching a serious brain injury" may be "outweighed by the dangers of exposing children to radiation."
ABC News /Reuters (9/14) noted that the present study appeared in The Lancet. It also cited a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last month indicating that CT scans are one of the two greatest contributors to radiation exposure.
Related Links:
- Study: Children with minor head injuries may not need CT scans," Anna Tong, The Sacramento Bee, September 14, 2009.
- New rules may help doctors avoid excess CT scans," Reuters, September 14, 2009.
Posted by admin at September 20, 2009 02:56 PM