Neck Injury Prediction Rule Could Decrease Imaging Exposure in Children, Study Finds

COLUMBUS, OH / ACCESSWIRE / June 6, 2024 / Cervical spine injuries in children are relatively rare but can have serious consequences, like paralysis. The standard method for detecting these injuries involves X-rays and computed tomography (CT) scans, which expose children to radiation and may pose long-term health risks. In a study published June 4 in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, researchers from the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) outline a novel approach to predicting cervical spine injuries in children that reduces the need for imaging by half - while ensuring injuries are not missed.

"Quickly and accurately identifying children with potentially severe injuries is crucial for emergency medical providers," said Julie Leonard, MD, MPH, who led the PECARN study team and is a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Nationwide Children's Hospital. "Our extensive, multicenter study demonstrates that using this rule, which relies on self-reported symptoms and physical examination, can prevent unnecessary radiation in children."

Children are more sensitive to radiation exposure than adults because their tissues and cells are still developing. Imaging can also be stressful for a child and their family, contribute to long wait times in emergency departments, and come with high costs. In addition, research demonstrates disparities in imaging use in emergency departments. Evidence-based rules can help ensure standardization of care.

The new model incorporates nine risk factors, all identifiable by physical examination. Among the 22,000 study participants, only 0.2% without any of these risk factors had a clinically significant cervical spine injury, suggesting that these children can be safely evaluated without imaging.