Evaluation of the Scandinavian guidelines for head injuries based on a consecutive series with computed tomography from a Norwegian university hospital.

Background: This study prospectively assesses clinical characteristics and management of consecutive minimal, mild and moderate head injury patients referred for CT scans. Compliance with the Scandinavian head injury guidelines and possible reasons for non-compliance is explored.

Methods: From January 16th 2006 to January 15th 2007, 1325 computed tomography (CT) examinations due to minimal, mild or moderate head injury according to the Head Injury Severity Scale (HISS) were carried out at our University Hospital.

Prognostic value of magnetic resonance imaging in moderate and severe head injury: a prospective study of early MRI findings and one-year outcome.

The clinical benefit of early magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in severe and moderate head injury is unclear. We sought to explore the prognostic value of the depth of lesions depicted with early MRI, and also to describe the prevalence and impact of traumatic brainstem lesions. In a cohort of 159 consecutive patients with moderate to severe head injury (age 5-65 years and surviving the acute phase) admitted to a regional level 1 trauma center, 106 (67%) were examined with MRI within 4 weeks post-injury.

Prevalence and impact of diffuse axonal injury in patients with moderate and severe head injury: a cohort study of early magnetic resonance imaging findings and 1-year outcome.

Object: In this prospective cohort study the authors examined patients with moderate to severe head injuries using MR imaging in the early phase. The objective was to explore the occurrence of diffuse axonal injury (DAI) and determine whether DAI was related to level of consciousness and patient outcome.

Methods: One hundred and fifty-nine patients (age range 5-65 years) with traumatic brain injury, who survived the acute phase, and who had a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 3-13 were admitted between October 2004 and August 2008.