Acta clinica Croatica, Vol. 43 No. 1, 2004.
Case report
The Value of Brain CT scan in Emergency Service: A Retrospective Analysis
Martina Špero
Darko Bedek
Miljenko Kalousek
Josip Hat
Zoran Rumboldt
Nenad Stuparić
Miljenko Marotti
Abstract
The objective of the study was evaluation and radiologic - clinical correlation of brain computed tomography (CT) scans performed at emergency service. The relation between the number of urgent and total CT scans performed during a 2-year period (January 1, 2001 - December 31, 2002) was analyzed. Emergency brain CT scans were especially investigated according to clinical indications, requests from particular clinical specialties, and need of anesthesiologist's assistance. CT scans were correlated with clinical examinations and diagnoses as well as with literature data. During the study period, 15,933 CT scans were performed at our department, 3132 (19.66%) of them at emergency service (1757 male and 1375 female, mean age 56.97 years), and 2576 (82.25%) of the latter emergency brain CT scans (1398 male and 1178 female, mean age 57.80 years). Data analysis showed the following distribution of emergency brain CT scans according to hospital departments: neurology 1441 (55.94%), neurosurgery 632 (24.53%), internal medicine 186 (7.22%), surgery 138 (5.36%), other departments 150 (5.82%), and other institutions 29 (1.13%). Clinical diagnoses for emergency brain CT scanning were as follows: stroke 905 (35.13%), subarachnoid hemorrhage 128 (4.97%), head injury 617 (23.95%), consciousness disorders and convulsions 389 (15.10%), intracranial expansive lesions 234 (9.08%), headache and/or vertigo 141 (5.47%), cerebrovascular insufficiency 50 (1.94%), infectious disease 46 (1.79%), hydrocephalus 12 (0.47%), metabolic disorders 2 (0.08%), and lost or unavailable data at the time of the study 52 (2.02%). Anesthesiologist's assistance during emergency brain CT scanning was needed in 234 (9.08%) cases. Correlation of CT findings with clinical diagnosis yielded the following results: 96 (3.73%) lost or unavailable data at the time of the study, 639 (25.77%) normal findings, and 1841 (74.23%) pathologic findings. Study results showed the number of emergency brain CT scans to be quite high with a tendency of continuous growth (cerebrovascular disorders, new therapeutic approaches, head injury). Difficulties encountered on brain CT scanning because of the patient's state, and delicacy of the emergency interpretation of CT scans impose the need of higher availability of a neuroradiologist within the frame of the emergency state algorithm.
Keywords
Brain - radiography; Central nervous system diseases - radiography; Tomography - x-ray - computed - utilization; Emergencies; Emergency service - hospital
Hrčak ID:
14447
URI
Publication date:
1.3.2004.
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