Factors associated with CT Brain finding after mild traumatic brain injury in Krabi Hospital

Abstract

          Mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is a common injury seen in Emergency Department (ED). Computed
Tomography (CT) scan of the brain is a good method of investigation to diagnose intracranial lesions but there is a disagreement of proper criteria about CT brain. This is a retrospective study of 821 patients with MTBI in Krabi Hospital from October 2014 to September 2017 to survey the risk factors that can be used for the indication of brain CT scan. Of these, the mean age of patients was 32.55 years, the male to female ratio of 2.33:1. Road traffic accident was the most common cause of mild head injury (75.8%) especially in motorcycle accident without helmet-used. 190 patients (23.1%) had intracranial lesions and 135 patients (16.5%) had skull fractures. Factors significantly associated with abnormal CT brain finding in patients < 16 years old with mild traumatic brain injury were loss of consciousness (LOC) or amnesia, vomiting > 2 episodes, post-traumatic seizure, contusion or laceration at scalp especially lesion > 5 cm. at occipital area and skull fracture (P < 0.05). Factors significantly associated with abnormal CT brain finding in patients ≥ 16 years old with mild traumatic brain injury were male, motorcycle accident without helmet-used, GCS 13-14 (> 2 hr. post injury), vomiting > 2 episodes, contusion or laceration at scalp especially lesion > 5 cm. at parietal area, bleeding per ear or nose and skull fracture (P < 0.05).