Pediatric Blunt Head Trauma (PECARN Study)

Author: Michelle Lin, MD
Updated: 2/4/2010

Pediatric Blunt Head Trauma (PECARN Study)

Risk of CT-documented TBI in children with a GCS <14 is 20%

PECARN Study

  • Derivation (n = 33,785) and validation (n = 8,627) of clinical decision rule for deciding who NOT to get head CTs for blunt head trauma
  • Enrolled age <18 yr within 24 hrs of head trauma and GCS 14-15
  • Patients from 25 enrolling Emergency Departments

“Clinically important traumatic brain injury” (ciTBI) predefined as:

  • Death from TBI
  • Intubation >24 hours duration
  • Neurosurgical intervention
  • Hospital admission ≥2 nights

PATIENT AGE <2 Years

Age less than 2 workup pathway

Severe Injury Mechanism

  • FALL >3 ft
  • MVC with patient ejection, death of another passenger, or rollover
  • Pedestrian or bicyclist without helmet struck by a motorized vehicle
  • Head struck by a high-impact object

PATIENT AGE ≥2 years

Age greater than or equal to 2 years workup pathway

Severe Injury Mechanism

  • FALL >5 ft
  • MVC with patient ejection, death of another passenger, or rollover
  • Pedestrian or bicyclist without helmet struck by a motorized vehicle
  • Head struck by a high-impact object

References

  • Kuppermann N et al. ID of children at very low risk of clinically-important brain injuries after head trauma: a prospective cohort study. Lancet. 2009 Oct 3;374(9696):1160-70. [PubMed]