Is Whole-Body CT Scanning for Trauma Always Necessary?

In this prospective study of patients with blunt trauma who presented to a single trauma center, the authors investigated whether certain components of whole-body computed tomography (CT) imaging (head, neck, chest, abdomen/pelvis) — colloquially known as a “pan-scan” — can be selectively omitted without missing important injuries. Prior to scanning, the emergency physician and trauma surgeon caring for the patient recorded which components of the pan-scan they believed could be omitted. On the basis of the attending radiologist's interpretation of the pan-scan and review of medical records, the authors categorized results for each component as normal, abnormal, or abnormal requiring critical action (operation, ventriculostomy, reversal of …