Isolated Severe Injury Mechanism Predicts Low Risk for Pediatric Intracranial Injury

Children with severe injury mechanism as the only one of the six risk factors included in the PECARN head injury prediction rule were at very low risk for clinically important traumatic brain injury.

Investigators used the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) database to evaluate the prevalence of clinically important traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children with minor head injury (Glasgow Coma Scale score ≥14) who had severe injury mechanism and none of the other five risk factors in the PECARN head trauma prediction rule (JW Emerg Med Sep 25 2009). Severe mechanism was defined as a motor vehicle collision with patient ejection, death of another passenger, or rollover; pedestrian or bicyclist without helmet struck by motor vehicle; falls (>3 feet for children younger than 2 years, >5 feet for children aged 2 years or older); or head struck with a high-impact object. Clinically important TBI was defined as intracra…

Reviewing Author

Katherine Bakes, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesEmergency Medicine Secrets (Elsevier)

Grant/Research SupportDepartment of Justice

Editorial BoardsEmergency Medicine Secrets (Elsevier); Rosen’s Emergency Medicine (Elsevier)

Katherine Bakes, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesEmergency Medicine Secrets (Elsevier)

Grant/Research SupportDepartment of Justice

Editorial BoardsEmergency Medicine Secrets (Elsevier); Rosen’s Emergency Medicine (Elsevier)