Ali Mousavi Jafarabad - Department of Emergency Medicine, Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Seyed Amirmasoud Hashemian - Department of Emergency Medicine, Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Currently, a large burden of hospital admissions is related to minor head trauma and its related imaging studies. One of the challenging issues for emergency physicians is brain computed tomography scan. Sensible use of computed tomography studies could minimize unnecessary radiation exposure and resource use. On the other hand, it can result in delayed or missed early treatment of intracranial injury.The aim of this review is to evaluate and summarize the costs and benefits of using diagnostic measurements in minor head trauma with particular focus on computed tomography scan and the advances and limitations of available guidelines. We studied different issues related to the current approach to minor head trauma in emergency departments. Altogether, it seems using brain computed tomography scan in the setting of emergency is a cost-effective method for the selected patients with minor head injury. However, concerning considerable costs of caring for patients with head injury and high sensitivity of brain computed tomography in terms of minor head injury, it seems reasonable to use brain computed tomography scan for a wider range of patients with minor head injury.

Computed tomography scan, Emergency Department, Intracranial injury, Minor head trauma