Mild TBI in the Emergency Department

Condition(s) studied

Study summary

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.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• To assess the use of CT — September 2025 - August 2026
  The heterogeneity of CT use between centers will be assessed using the Pearson chi-square test. If significant heterogeneity in the case-mix of patients between EDs emerges, this crude analysis will be supported by a standardized analysis. Specifically, the Standardized Event Ratio (SER) will be calculated for each ED, i.e. the ratio between CT performed in a center and those expected based on the characteristics of patients arriving at that ED. The number of expected CBTs will be calculated using a logistic regression model, developed on all patients enrolled in the study.

Trial sites (24)

More Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research trials in Italy

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