Article Figures & Data
Tables
- Table 1
Variant 1: Minor or Mild Acute Closed Head Injury (GCS ≥ 13), Without Risk Factors or Neurologic Deficit*
Radiologic Exam Procedure Appropriateness Rating Comments CT, head, without contrast 7 Known to be low-yield X-ray and/or CT, cervical spine 5 MRI, head, without contrast 4 CT, head, without and with contrast 3 CTA, head and neck 3 Rarely indicated with mild trauma CT, head, without and with contrast 2 INV, cerebral angiography 1 NUC, SPECT 1 PET 1 CT, head, xenon-enhanced 1 US, transcranial Doppler 1 Appropriateness Criteria Scale: 1 = least appropriate; 9 = most appropriate. CT, computed tomography; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; CTA, computed tomographic angiography; SPECT, single photon emission computed tomography; PET, positron emission tomography; US, ultrasound; MRA, magnetic resonance angiography; INV, invasive; fMRI, functional magnetic resonance imaging.
* Head Trauma: American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria for Neuroimaging.23
- Table 2
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
- Table 3
Variant 5: Subacute or Chronic Closed Head Injury With Cognitive and/or Neurologic Deficit(s)*
Radiologic Exam Procedure Appropriateness Rating Comments MRI, head, without contrast 8 CT, head, without contrast 6 MRA, head and neck 4 For selected cases CTA, head and neck 4 For selected cases NUC, SPECT 4 For selected cases PET 4 For selected cases MRI, head, without and with contrast 3 fMRI, head 2 X-ray, skull 2 X-ray and/or CT, cervical spine 2 Assuming there are no spinal neurologic deficits CT, head, without and with contrast 2 INV, cerebral angiography 1 CT, head, xenon-enhanced 1 US, transcranial Doppler 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
