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The aim of this study was to develop a decision rule for physicians in developing countries to identify patients with minor head injury who will benefit from emergency brain CT scanning.

Three hundred eighteen patients with a history of blunt head trauma and a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score ≥ 13 who had presented within 12 hours of trauma underwent nonenhanced brain CT and were included in this prospective study. Computed tomography findings that necessitated neurosurgical care (either observation or intervention) were considered as positive findings. Logistic regression was used to develop the decision rule.

Computed tomography scans were always normal in patients < 65 years old who did not have an obvious head wound, a raccoon sign, vomiting, memory deficit, or a decrease in their GCS score. Patients …