Optimizing Imaging in the Pediatric Trauma Patient, Part 1: Head and Neck Trauma

Points and Pearls Excerpt

• Given their small size and developing tissues, children have the highest effective radiation dose and are potentially at higher risk from radiation exposure due to organ sensitivity and longer remaining life expectancy.²
• The PECARN pediatric head CT rule has been found to be 100% sensitive for ruling out ciTBIs.³
• Although radiation exposure is lower with the use of radiographs, CT is superior for detecting skull fractures and should be used when a fracture is suspected.⁸
• CT with sagittal and coronal reformatted series as well as 3-dimensional shaded-surface volume-rendered images can accurately differentiate between fractures and sutures in pediatric patients.^7,9