Children with brain injuries

We read with interest the study “CATCH: a clinical decision rule for the use of computed tomography in children with minor head injury.” 1 The authors are to be congratulated for their efforts to clarify the role and potential benefits of computed tomography in children with minor head injuries. In addition to imaging studies, clinicians and researchers have used EEG to evaluate changes in the electrical activity of the brain following mild traumatic brain injury. In a retrospective analysis from January 2006 to December 2007 to assess the role of standard EEG recordings in children with mild traumatic brain injury, we concluded that the routine performance of an EEG is not indicated because in most of the cases it is unrevealing, and may lead to unnecessary diagnostic procedures. Notwithstanding the fact that the study by Osmond and colleagues needs to be confirmed in a prospective study, their results may prove an important basis for deriving a decision rule for the management in the emergency department of children with mild traumatic brain injury.