{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,29]],"date-time":"2026-10-29T06:39:54Z","timestamp":1793255994028,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,21]],"date-time":"2024-11-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1732147200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Medicina"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and Objectives: Head trauma is one of many conditions that trauma centres deal with daily. This study aimed to analyse the utilisation of head CT scans for patients with minor head trauma in two major hospitals in Lithuania and Poland. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective, descriptive study of CT utilisation in minor head trauma patients presenting to the Level 1 trauma centre Hospital of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics (HLUHS KC) and Jan Biziel University Hospital in Bydgoszcz emergency departments (EDs), during the study period from 01 February to 30 April 2023. Results: During the study period, 1048 patients visited the HLUHS KC emergency department (ED) due to head trauma, and 388 patients visited the Jan Biziel University Hospital. Overall, 611 patients were included in the study. Most of the patients (92%) who suffered minimal trauma were younger than 65 years old. Eighty-two per cent of the patients older than 65 years old arrived at the ED after suffering a fall. Almost all the patients who were using antiplatelets (93%) or anticoagulants (91%) had CT scans. Non-emergency medicine (EM) physicians were more likely to order head CT scans than EM physicians (170 (83%) vs. 249 (62%), p &lt; 0.001). There were 33 (5%) CT scans with traumatic features, and 8 (1%) of these were categorised as clinically significant. Patients who suffered clinically significant head trauma were more likely to be on anticoagulants and older than 65 when compared to normal\/insignificant CT findings: 3 (38%) vs. 25 (6%), p &lt; 0.001; and 6 (75%) vs. 146 (36%), p &lt; 0.021. Conclusions: A significant number of head CT scans performed were not necessary according to existing head CT guidelines and risk calculators. However, even in minor head traumas, clinically significant head injuries may occur.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/medicina60121908","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,21]],"date-time":"2024-11-21T04:46:11Z","timestamp":1732164371000},"page":"1908","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Overuse of CT for Minor Head Trauma Patients: A Retrospective Analysis from Poland and Lithuania Trauma Centres"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"60","author":[{"given":"Kristina","family":"Bla\u017eien\u0117","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Emergency Medicine Department, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8765-233X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jakub","family":"No\u017cewski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Emergency Medicine Department, Jan Biziel University Hospital no 2, 85-168 Bydgoszcz, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vaida","family":"Cibulsk\u0117","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Emergency Medicine Department, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Monika","family":"Kunigonyt\u0117","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Emergency Medicine Department, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Deimant\u0117","family":"Ko\u0161yt\u0117","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Emergency Medicine Department, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-8644-5767","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karolis","family":"Bareikis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vytautas","family":"Auk\u0161takalnis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Emergency Medicine Department, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e075049","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2023-075049","article-title":"Global, regional and national burden of traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury, 1990\u20132019: A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2019","volume":"13","author":"Guan","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"(2024, April 01). Ligoni\u0173, Gydyt\u0173 Nuo Traum\u0173 Ir Apsinuodijim\u0173, Skai\u010dius. Institute of Hygiene. Available online: https:\/\/stat.hi.lt\/user-report-view.aspx?group_id=5."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1510","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajem.2017.04.059","article-title":"Describing wait time bottlenecks for ED patients undergoing head CT","volume":"35","author":"Rogg","year":"2017","journal-title":"Am. J. Emerg. Med."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1142","DOI":"10.4065\/mcp.2010.0260","article-title":"Radiation risk from medical imaging","volume":"85","author":"Lin","year":"2010","journal-title":"Mayo Clin. Proc."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102","DOI":"10.1097\/HP.0000000000000674","article-title":"Appropriate use of effective dose in radiation protection and risk assessment","volume":"113","author":"Fisher","year":"2017","journal-title":"Health Phys."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"54","DOI":"10.1016\/j.annemergmed.2017.06.022","article-title":"Implementation of the Canadian CT Head Rule and its association with use of computed tomography among patients with head injury","volume":"71","author":"Sharp","year":"2018","journal-title":"Ann. Emerg. Med."},{"key":"ref_7","first-page":"789","article-title":"Outcome in 1000 head injury hospital admissions: The Athens head trauma registry","volume":"65","author":"Stranjalis","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Trauma"},{"key":"ref_8","unstructured":"(2024, March 21). Ligonin\u0117je Gydytos Galvos Smegen\u0173 Traumos Epidemiologija Vilniuje Ir Vilniaus Kra\u0161te. Available online: https:\/\/www.zurnalai.vu.lt\/lietuvos-chirurgija\/article\/view\/2243."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.15388\/Psichol.2018.0.11900","article-title":"Galvos smegen\u0173 traum\u0105 patyrusi\u0173 asmen\u0173 pa\u017eintini\u0173 geb\u0117jim\u0173 s\u0105sajos su gyvenimo kokybe","volume":"57","author":"Ivleva","year":"2018","journal-title":"Psichologija"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"189","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijchp.2019.06.004","article-title":"Predictive factors of quality of life in acquired brain injury","volume":"19","author":"Verdugo","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Clin. Health Psychol."},{"key":"ref_11","first-page":"92","article-title":"Galvos smegen\u0173 traumos epidemiologija, monitoravimas, gydymo aspektai ir prognoz\u0117","volume":"22","author":"Kondrotas","year":"2012","journal-title":"Sveik. Moksl."},{"key":"ref_12","unstructured":"(2024, April 01). Informacija Apie I\u0161duotus Nedarbingumo Pa\u017eym\u0117jimus Pagal Diagnozi\u0173 Grupes. Available online: https:\/\/stat.hi.lt\/default.aspx?report_id=162."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"901","DOI":"10.1007\/s00068-018-0941-8","article-title":"Management of mild traumatic brain injury-trauma energy level and medical history as possible predictors for intracranial haemorrhage","volume":"45","author":"Vedin","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eur. J. Trauma Emerg. Surg."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1229","DOI":"10.1007\/s00068-023-02365-y","article-title":"Mild traumatic brain injury: Not always a mild injury","volume":"50","author":"Schellenberg","year":"2023","journal-title":"Eur. J. Trauma Emerg. Surg."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e04226","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2020.e04226","article-title":"Mild head trauma in elderly patients: Experience of an emergency department","volume":"6","author":"Savioli","year":"2020","journal-title":"Heliyon"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"131","DOI":"10.34172\/ehsj.2023.21","article-title":"Prevalence of pathological lesion due to mild head trauma in computed tomography scan of patients\u2019 brains","volume":"10","author":"Pourafzali","year":"2023","journal-title":"Epidemiol. Health Syst. J."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"451","DOI":"10.1016\/j.annemergmed.2011.12.003","article-title":"Management of minor head injury in patients receiving oral anticoagulant therapy: A prospective study of a 24-hour observation protocol","volume":"59","author":"Menditto","year":"2012","journal-title":"Ann. Emerg. Med."},{"key":"ref_18","first-page":"895","article-title":"The value of sequential computed tomography scanning in anticoagulated patients suffering from minor head injury","volume":"68","author":"Kaen","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Trauma"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"296","DOI":"10.1212\/CPJ.0000000000000375","article-title":"Mild brain injury and anticoagulants: Less is enough","volume":"7","author":"Campiglio","year":"2017","journal-title":"Neurol. Clin. Pract."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"E1561","DOI":"10.1503\/cmaj.210811","article-title":"Intracranial haemorrhage after head injury among older patients on anticoagulation seen in the emergency department: A population-based cohort study","volume":"193","author":"Grewal","year":"2021","journal-title":"CMAJ"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1199","DOI":"10.1007\/s00068-023-02373-y","article-title":"Clinical decision rules in predicting computed tomography scan findings and need for neurosurgical intervention in mild traumatic brain injury: A prospective observational study","volume":"50","author":"Forouzannia","year":"2023","journal-title":"Eur. J. Trauma Emerg. Surg."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.1016\/S0196-0644(97)70104-5","article-title":"Variation in ED use of computed tomography for patients with minor head injury","volume":"30","author":"Stiell","year":"1997","journal-title":"Ann. Emerg. Med."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"251","DOI":"10.1007\/s10140-020-01846-6","article-title":"Overuse of brain CT scan for evaluating mild head trauma in adults","volume":"28","author":"Shobeirian","year":"2021","journal-title":"Emerg. Radiol."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2672","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2015.16316","article-title":"Will neuroimaging reveal a severe intracranial injury in this adult with minor head trauma?: The rational clinical examination systematic review","volume":"314","author":"Easter","year":"2015","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"171","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jacr.2016.08.032","article-title":"Overuse of head CT examinations for the investigation of minor head trauma: Analysis of contributing factors","volume":"14","author":"Klang","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Am. Coll. Radiol."},{"key":"ref_26","first-page":"5571435","article-title":"Prehospital Predictors for Urgent Neurosurgical Intervention in the Head Trauma Patient: A 2-Year Multicenter Retrospective Study","volume":"2023","author":"Kwiatkowska","year":"2023","journal-title":"Emerg. Med. Int."}],"container-title":["Medicina"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1648-9144\/60\/12\/1908\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T16:36:24Z","timestamp":1760114184000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1648-9144\/60\/12\/1908"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,21]]},"references-count":26,"journal-issue":{"issue":"12","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12]]}},"alternative-id":["medicina60121908"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/medicina60121908","relation":{},"ISSN":["1648-9144"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1648-9144","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,21]]}}}