Category: Pediatrics
Keywords: Pediatrics, trauma (PubMed Search)
Posted: 5/8/2025 by Kathleen Stephanos, MD
(Updated: 5/9/2025)
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2024 brought us an excellent new decision tool to prevent excessive radiation for children. NOTE: These are vastly different than adult criteria.
In children with traumatic injuries, most will NOT require CT imaging.
This study included over 22,000 patients (age 0-17 years) who were evaluated following blunt trauma. A rate of <1% were found to have c-spine injuries. Excluded from the study were strangulation patients, intoxicated patients, and predisposing conditions including prior fracture.
Indications for considering CT C-spine include ANY of the following:
Indications for consider C-spine XRs include ANY of the following:
Abnormal XR findings should receive further evaluation as per standard of care.
The remaining patients may have their c-spine cleared.
Leonard JC, Harding M, Cook LJ, Leonard JR, Adelgais KM, Ahmad FA, Browne LR, Burger RK, Chaudhari PP, Corwin DJ, Glomb NW, Lee LK, Owusu-Ansah S, Riney LC, Rogers AJ, Rubalcava DM, Sapien RE, Szadkowski MA, Tzimenatos L, Ward CE, Yen K, Kuppermann N. PECARN prediction rule for cervical spine imaging of children presenting to the emergency department with blunt trauma: a multicentre prospective observational study. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2024 Jul;8(7):482-490. doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(24)00104-4. Epub 2024 Jun 4. Erratum in: Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2024 Dec;8(12):e17. doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(24)00311-0. PMID: 38843852; PMCID: PMC11261431.
