Indications for Brain Computed Tomography Scan After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Trauma to the head may cause damage to the brain parenchyma. This intracranial damage is more probable in severe than mild forms of head trauma. Despite this knowledge, physicians could not disregard the risk of brain injury in mild forms; thus, in many cases of head trauma, computed tomography (CT) scans are performed to detect possible intracranial injuries. This excessive CT scanning could cause unnecessary radiation exposure for patients, many cases of which are children and impose a heavy burden on the society. Different studies tried to decrease unnecessary CT scans by establishing clinical rules to predict possible injuries. These rules will help clinicians to safely recognize at risk patients with clinical signs and symptoms and perform CT scans when it is really necessary. The need for these rules is more prominent in mild forms of traumatic brain injury, where patients usually come with normal level of consciousness. This chapter will introduce different clinical studies related to indications for brain CT scan after Mild traumatic brain injury.