ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Minor Blunt Trauma

Trauma is a common indication for seeking medical treatment including falls, motor vehicle collision (MVC), and assault. Minor blunt trauma can be defined as minor nonfatal injury to a single body part or minor injury with a low-risk mechanism including limited assault, ground-level falls, low-speed MVC, fall from bicycle, and blunt sports injuries. Patients are assumed to be ambulatory without distracting injuries to limit physical examination with normal mental status. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision process support the systematic analysis of the medical literature from peer reviewed journals. Established methodology principles such as Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE are adapted to evaluate the evidence. The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method User Manual provides the methodology to determine the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where peer reviewed literature is lacking or equivocal, experts may be the primary evidentiary source available to formulate a recommendation.