Nonindicated Brain Computed Tomography Scans for Children Adaptation of an American Measurement Tool and Contrast of Current Practice in an Australian Hospital

Abstract

Objectives: Clinical guidelines state brain computed tomography (CT) for atraumatic headache or first generalized afebrile, atraumatic seizure as nonindicated in neurologically normal children. We aimed to adapt 2 rigorously validated United States–based measures that examine overuse of CT in children with these conditions, and to determine whether these measures can be used in an Australian setting to determine rates of CT scanning in current practice. Methods: Within an Australian tertiary pediatric hospital, we successfully adapted the measures from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) coding system of the United States measures to..