Variant 2: Minor or Mild Acute Closed Head Injury, Focal Neurologic Deficit and/or Risk Factors*
| Radiologic Exam Procedure | Appropriateness Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| CT, head, without contrast | 9 | |
| MRI, head, without contrast | 6 | For problem solving |
| X-ray and/or CT, cervical spine | 6 | |
| MRA, head and neck | 5 | If vascular injury is suspected; for problem solving |
| CTA, head and neck | 5 | If vascular injury is suspected; for problem solving |
| MRI, head, without and with contrast | 3 | |
| CT, head, without and with contrast | 2 | |
| INV, cerebral angiograph | 1 | |
| NUC, SPECT | 1 | |
| PET | 1 | |
| CT, head, xenon-enhanced | 1 | |
| US, transcranial Doppler | 1 | |
| X-ray, skull | 1 |
Appropriateness Criteria Scale: 1 = least appropriate; 9 = most appropriate. Abbreviations are as defined in Table 1.
* Head Trauma: American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria for Neuroimaging.23