An employer sent his worker to the ED after having hit his head on a machine. Exam: normal.
What is the single most likely inv you would do?
a. Skull XR
b. CT head
c. MRI head
d. Reassure
answer: B
CT Scan is the most useful imaging for head trauma and it would be the ‘single most likely investigation we would do’. The other options are not appropriate.
Skull X-ray is useful if there is a laceration and we want to see if there is an underlying fracture.
MRI is very rarely used in head trauma.
Reassurance is not an investigation, furthermore any patient with head trauma should undergo a period of observation before decision is made on the need for imaging.