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Previous Volume 343:138-140 July 13, 2000 Number 2 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Emergency physicians have traditionally relied heavily on diagnostic imaging in the evaluation of patients with head or neck trauma. This conservative approach is intended to reduce the risk of missing intracranial lesions or cervical-spine fractures to virtually zero, since the morbidity associated with these injuries can be great and the medicolegal consequences severe. Each year in the United States more than 2 million adults present on an emergency basis after trauma to the head. Of the 80 percent with apparently minor injury,¹ between 6 percent and 9 percent harbor unexpected, traumatic intracranial lesions, although fewer than 1 percent require neurosurgical . . . [Full Text of this Article]

References

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Blackham, J., Benger, J. (2009). `Clearing' the cervical spine in conscious trauma patients. Trauma 11: 93-109 [Abstract]  
• Hunink, M. G. M. (2005). Decision Making in the Face of Uncertainty and Resource Constraints: Examples from Trauma Imaging. Radiology 235: 375-383 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Smart, P J E, Hardy, P J, Buckley, D M G, Somers, J M, Broderick, N J, Halliday, K E, Williams, L (2003). Cervical spine injuries to children under 11: should we use radiography more selectively in their initial assessment?. Emerg. Med. J. 20: 225-227 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• McClune, T, Burton, A K, Waddell, G (2002). Whiplash associated disorders: a review of the literature to guide patient information and advice. Emerg. Med. J. 19: 499-506 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Stiell, I. G. (2000). Clinical decision rules in the emergency department. CMAJ 163: 1465-1466 [Full Text]  
• (2000). Ruling out C-Spine Injury Without Radiography. JWatch Emergency Med. 2000: 1-1 [Full Text]