Perceived Race and Ethnicity on CT Use in Children With Minor Head or Abdominal Trauma

To determine whether race or ethnicity is associated with computed tomography (CT) use in children after minor blunt head trauma (BHT) or blunt abdominal trauma (BAT).

This was a prospective secondary analysis of children (<18 years) with BHT and/or BAT at 6 pediatric trauma centers. Injury severity was assessed using the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network prediction rules. We performed multivariable logistic regression, controlling for site, age, sex, Social Deprivation Index, and injury severity.

In total, 17 339 patients with BHT were enrolled. For patients aged 2 years or older, compared with the reference group (∼85% non-Hispanic white patients), there was no difference in CT use for Hispanic ethnicity (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.96; 95% CI, 0.86-1.08), non-Hispanic Asian (aOR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.82, 1.37), or Black race (aOR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.89-1.19). For patients aged younger than 2 years, there was no difference in CT use for Asian (aOR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.70-1.63) or Black race (aOR, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.89-1.62) but less CT use for Hispanic patients (aOR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.59-0.96). In all, 6821 patients with BAT were enrolled. Compared with the reference group (∼95% non-Hispanic white), there were no significant differences in CT use for patients who were Asian (aOR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.68-1.40), Black (aOR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.73-1.40), or Hispanic (aOR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.81-1.13).

CT use in children with BAT was similar across racial and ethnic groups. However, head CT rates in Hispanic children aged younger than 2 years may reflect disparities in imaging practices.