CT for Trauma: We Haven't Turned the Tide Yet

Computed tomography (CT) imaging is widely used for patients with injury, despite its known radiation risks and high cost. A 2010 study using data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS; NEJM JW Emerg Med Dec 2010 and JAMA 2010; 304:1465) demonstrated that the use of CT or magnetic resonance imaging had increased from 6% in 1998 to 15% in 2007. At around 2007, radiation risks of CT imaging began being widely discussed and incorporated into routine medical decision making. The authors of the current study used NHAMCS data from 2007 to 2010 to determine the use and yield of CT imaging for injured emergency department patients. New data were collected in the NHAMCS, allowing the authors to distinctly study both head …