In:
Clinical Pediatrics, SAGE Publications, Vol. 36, No. 8 ( 1997-08), p. 461-465
Abstract:
The goal of this study was to describe a single emergency physician's experience with symptomatic blunt head injury in children and prospectively assess the sensitivity and predictive value of the neurologic examination. The author utilized a prospective patient series comparing neurologic examination with computed tomography (CT) of the head. Nine of 42 patients had intracranial injury for a prevalence of 21%; two patients (5%) had intracranial injury with only subtle neurologic examination findings. Twenty-six patients had a negative neurologic examination, and all had normal-appearing CT scans. Sixteen patients had a positive neurologic examination, of whom nine had a positive CT scan. The properties of the neurologic examination as a diagnostic test, with CT as the gold standard, were as follows: sensitivity = 100%, specificity = 78%, positive predictive value = 56%, negative predictive value = 100%. Normal findings from neurologic examination can be used in some children with symptomatic blunt head injury to delay or eliminate the need for CT of the head.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0009-9228
,
1938-2707
DOI:
10.1177/000992289703600805
Language:
English
Publisher:
SAGE Publications
Publication Date:
1997
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2066146-0
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