Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Scanning Dos and Don'ts: Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Awake Children Aged 3 to 5 Years to Assess Brain Structure and Function
Published on: March 10, 2026
Skull radiographs and computed tomography scans in children and adolescents with mild head trauma
José Roberto Tude Melo1, Rodolfo Casimiro Reis, Laudenor Pereira Lemos-Júnior
1Post-Graduation Program in Medicine and Health, University of Bahia, Salvador BA, Brazil. robertotude@gmail.com
Objective:
To identify which pediatric patients with mild head trauma are candidates for skull radiographs or cranial computed tomography (CCT) scans.
Method:
Patients with mild head trauma aged from 0 to 19 years presenting to the Emergency Department of a trauma centre from Salvador City, Brazil, between May 2007 and May 2008.
Results:
A total of 1888 mild head trauma patients were admitted; mean age was 7.4 (+/-5.5) years. A total of 1956 skull radiographs and 734 CCT scans were performed. About 44.4% patients with Glasgow coma score (GCS) 13 and 55.4% with GCS 14 had abnormal CCT scans. In patients with multiple traumas, 16% had abnormal findings on CCT scans.
Conclusion:
We strongly recommend routine CCT studies to patients with GCS of 13 and 14 or to multiple trauma victims, independently of score. Routine screening skull radiographs were not useful in the evaluation of mild head trauma patients in this study.
Related Concept Videos
Computed Tomography
The technique was invented in the 1970s and is based on the principle that as X-rays pass through the body, they are absorbed or reflected at different levels. In the technique, a patient lies on a motorized platform while a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner rotates...
Imaging Studies I: CT and MRI
Description of the Procedures
Computed Tomography (CT) scan:
Computed Tomography (CT) scans use X-ray technology to generate detailed images of bones, organs, and tissues. During the scan, the patient lies on a moving table...
Radiological Investigation I: X-ray and CT
Imaging Studies III: Computed Tomography
Brain Imaging
These technologies include computerized axial tomography (CAT or CT scans), positron-emission tomography (PET scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...
