Computed Tomographic Scans of Brains in Chachoengsao Hospital: A Retrospective Study of the Indications and Findings - เอกซ์เรย์คอมพิวเตอร์สมองในโรงพยาบาลฉะเชิงเทรา: ข้อบ่งชี้และการตรวจพบ

Abstract

       The requisition for computed tomography scan of brain (CT brain) had been increasing continually each year at Chachoengsao Hospital. The retrospective study was carried out reviewing the medical records and CT brain scans of the patients that underwent scanning in Chachoengsao Computed Tomography Center during October - November 2008. There were totally 596 patients included with an average age of 49.80, SD 22.0 years,and mostly male (57.3%). They were classified as traumatic (17.8%), non-traumatic (69.4%), follow up (8.9%) and psychitric (3.9%). The numbers of positive findings were not different in traumatic and non-traumatic group. The non-traumatic cases had mean age (54.8,SD20.5 years) higher than that of the traumatic cases (31.8, SD 17.8 years). The recorded Glasgow coma scale (GCS) was 90.3 percent in traumatic group and 68.6 found in non-traumatic data. The positive CT brains were significant correspond with GCS score (p 0.031 in traumatic group and p 0.000 in non-traumatic group). In non-traumatic group, mean GCS score of intracranial hematoma cases (9.4, SD 4.21) less than infarction cases (12.4, SD 3.39). In the 370 cases (age >4 years with recorded GCS) of traumatic and non-traumatic groups, 66.2 percent had positive CT brain findings, of which 41.2 percent were the cases with GCS score of 15. In this group the indications that constituted positive CT findings were sign of motor deficiency (pvalue 0.009), wounds in head part, headache, loss of conscious and amnesia, respectively. This study agreed with CT brain scan were reasonably highly commended for those with GCS score of less than 15 and suggested particular indications that might limit the use of CT scan in the cases with GCS score of 15 without underestimating.

Key words: computed tomography, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), indication and findings