Does implementation of the PECARN rules for minor head trauma improve patient-centered outcomes in a lower resource emergency department: a retrospective cohort study

Table 2 Management and clinical outcomes of patients presenting with head trauma pre- and post-PECARN rules implementation

Variables, n (%)	Pre-PECARN (N = 425)	Post-PECARN (N = 937)	p-value
Length of stay, mean in minutes (±SD)	75.2 (± 76.6)	69.3 (± 68.1)	0.18
Diagnosed with ciTBI^a	8 (1.9)	7 (0.7)	0.06
Neurosurgical intervention	1 (12.5)	0 (0.0)	0.33
Admission > 2 nights	4 (50.0)	5 (71.4)	0.4
Admission for persistent neurologic symptoms and signs	4 (50.0)	3 (42.9)	0.78
Consult Neurology/Neurosurgery	28 (6.6)	41 (4.4)	0.09
CT imaging	92 (21.6)	174 (18.6)	0.18
No acute post traumatic change	84 (91.3)	161 (92.5)	0.73
Positive findings^c	8 (8.7)	13 (7.5)	0.73
Disposition
Home	402 (94.6)	885 (94.5)	0.2
Inpatient/PICU	10 (2.4)	12 (1.3)
Transfer/AMA	13 (3.1)	40 (4.3)
Discharge instructions^b	187 (44.0)	478 (51.0)	0.02
Bounce backs	31 (7.3)	65 (6.9)	0.81
CT imaging	2 (6.5)	8 (12.3)	0.38
Positive findings^c	1 (3.2)	1 (1.5)	0.59
Disposition
Home	30 (96.8)	61 (92.4)	0.66
Inpatient	1 (3.2)	4 (6.1)
AMA	0 (0.0)	1 (1.5)

^aciTBI: Clinically important traumatic brain injury: death, neurosurgical intervention, intubation for > 24 h, hospital admission for ≥2 nights
^bDischarge instructions consisted of written discharge instructions related to head trauma
^cPositive findings: intracranial hemorrhage/contusion, cerebral edema, traumatic infarction, diffuse axonal/shearing injury, sigmoid sinus thrombosis, midline shift, skull diastasis, pneumocephalus, or depressed skull fracture

ISSN: 1471-2431