Prevalence of Minor Head Injury and its Clinical Management: a Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Aim: To determine the prevalence of minor head injury and determination a suitable strategy for diagnosis and management Study design: A cross-sectional study Place and duration: Chandka Medical College/Civil Hospital Larkana, (April 2019-March 2020) Methodology: A total of 317 participants with traumatic brain injury (TBI) were included in this study. Out of that number 181 (57.09%) had a Glasgow coma scale of less than 15. A Head CT scan was done after 4 hours of their arrival in the Emergency room (ER). Those patients who had penetrating injuries of the head were excluded from the study. Results: Out of 181 participants who had GCS less than 15, 47 (14.82%) participants had abnormal brain CT scans. A total of 16 (5.04%) needed surgery. Some patients presented with lethal brain lesions. However, even in severe cases, early diagnosis and management were useful. Conclusion: The present approach of risk stratification regarding minor head injuries in adults based on skull radiography should be replaced with NICE guidelines. This modification will result in relying on CT scans rather than skull radiography eventually increasing the rate of admissions. Intracranial lesions can be detected on early CT scanning and help in the reduction of unnecessary admissions in hospitals. Keywords: Minor head injury, traumatic brain injury, computed tomography, skull fractures, intracranial lesions, GCS