Head CT for non-trauma patients in the emergency department: Yield and clinical predicators of abnormal findings.

الملخص

Aim: The purpose of this study is to determine, retrospectively, from a selected assortment of clinical pictures and laboratory tests, what constitutes a predictor of critical, abnormal findings in computed tomography (CT) of the head in emergency department (ED) patients, excluding those with a history of trauma. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from October 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018. Patients included were those presenting to the emergency department (ED) with different clinical picture. Additional variables were selected, including; age, sex, Glasgow coma scale, vital signs and laboratory results. Patients with a known history of intracranial pathology and who are below 18 years were excluded as well. The association of each variable with significant abnormal CT findings was identified utilizing Chi-square. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: After excluding patients younger than 18 years of age or who presented after head trauma, A total of 636 eligible patients data were collected from October 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018, of which 302 (47.5%) were male and 334 (52.5%) were female.. Of the 636 patients who underwent a CT scan. All patients had normal CT scans. No evidence of significant analysis was found other than the presenting Chief Complaint. Conclusion: The study recognized the ED patient's chief complaint as a sole predictor of positive findings in computed tomography (CT) images of the head. further studies validation of a clinical prediction rule in this population is justified