Mild TBI in the Emergency Department

Mild TBI is one of the main causes of admission to the Emergency Department (ED). Brain computed tomography (CT) is one of the most widely used diagnostic tools to assess the presence of intracranial lesions. However, in Western countries, 85-95% of CT scans performed in the ED for mild TBI are negative. It is therefore conceivable that a significant number of CTs could be avoided by a more careful use of this exam. On the other hand, excessive use of CT exposes patients to unnecessary radiation, increases healthcare costs and slows down the management of patients in the ED. This study aims to analyze the variability in the use of CT in mild TBI in Italian EDs, validate the scores designed to help the physician decide when to use it and develop a model that predicts the medium-term outcome of patients with mild head trauma.

Inclusion Criteria: Adult patients arriving in the emergency department. Adult patients with mild TBI Adult patients with Glasgow Coma Scale 13-15. Exclusion Criteria: All patients under 18 years. Patients with trauma-associated loss of consciousness lasting more than 30 minutes. Patients with post-traumatic amnesia lasting more than 24 hours.