Document Detail


Lumbar puncture first: an alternative model for the investigation of lone acute sudden headache.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  10051905     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a diagnosis often considered in patients presenting to the ED with acute sudden headaches, but with normal physical examinations. Standard of care today is for these patients to be investigated by noncontrast CT scan followed by lumbar puncture (LP) for negative CTs. However, given that most investigated patients have benign headaches, most of the CT and LP results are normal. The authors studied, by means of a theoretical analysis, the impact of an alternative diagnostic model, in which LP would be the first (and, in most cases, only) diagnostic test for patients suspected of SAH who met lone acute sudden headache (LASH) criteria. Given reasonable assumptions, for every 100 patients investigated, the "LP-first" model would result in 79 to 83 fewer CT scans and only seven to 11 additional LPs, as compared with traditional strategies. Among ED headache patients meeting LASH criteria, the authors believe use of this model could result in more efficient use of resources, minimal additional morbidity, and equal diagnostic accuracy for SAH.
Authors:
M J Schull
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine     Volume:  6     ISSN:  1069-6563     ISO Abbreviation:  Acad Emerg Med     Publication Date:  1999 Feb 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1999-04-22     Completed Date:  1999-04-22     Revised Date:  2004-11-17    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9418450     Medline TA:  Acad Emerg Med     Country:  UNITED STATES    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  131-6     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Emergency Department, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. mjs@ices.on.ca
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Algorithms*
Emergencies
Headache / diagnosis,  etiology*
Humans
Models, Statistical
Predictive Value of Tests
Spinal Puncture*
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / diagnosis*
Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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