Adult intussusception: presentation, management, and outcomes of 148 patients

Background

Intussusception is a predominantly pediatric diagnosis that is not well characterized among adults. Undiagnosed cases can result in significant morbidity, making early recognition important for clinicians.

Study Objectives

We describe the presentation, clinical management, disposition, and outcome of adult patients diagnosed with intussusception during a 13-year period.

Methods

A retrospective study of consecutive adult patients diagnosed with intussusception at a tertiary academic center was carried out from 1996 to 2008. Cases were identified using International Classification of Diseases, 9^th Revision codes and a document search engine. Data were abstracted in duplicate by two independent authors.

Results

Among 148 patients included in the study, the most common symptoms at presentation were abdominal pain (72%), nausea (49%), and vomiting (36%). Twenty percent were asymptomatic. Sixty percent of cases had an identifiable lead point. Patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) (31%) had higher rates of abdominal pain (relative risk [RR] 5.7) and vomiting (RR 3.4), and were more likely to undergo surgical intervention (RR 1.8) than patients diagnosed elsewhere. There were 77 patients who underwent surgery within 1 month; patients presenting with abdominal pain (RR 2.2), nausea (RR 1.7), vomiting (RR 1.4), and bloody stool (RR 1.9) were more likely to undergo surgery.

Conclusions

Adult intussusception commonly presents with abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting; however, approximately 20% of cases are asymptomatic and seem to be diagnosed by incidental radiologic findings. Patients presenting to an ED with intussusception due to a mass as a lead point or in an ileocolonic location are likely to undergo surgical intervention.     

Impact of an epic-integrated point-of-care ultrasound workflow on ultrasound performance,compliance, and potential revenue

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to describe the design and impact of a point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) workflow integrated into the electronic medical record (EMR) on PoCUS utilization, documentation compliance, and resultant revenue potential.MethodsThis was a single-center retrospective study at an academic center. The study period spanned from December 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019 (pre-implementation) to August 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020 (post-implementation). The implementation date was July 11, 2019 at which time a PoCUS workflow was integrated into the EMR in the emergency department without the purchase of middleware. Prior to this new workflow, a non-automated workflow was in place. PoCUS scan data were extracted from the EMR and archived examinations. The mean number of PoCUS examinations performed per month per 100 ED visits before and after implementation of the new workflow were compared using an unpaired t-test, stratified by all health care professionals, and attending physicians alone. The rate of documentation compliance before and after implementation of the new workflow were compared using a chi square contingency test. Potential revenue was calculated for each period by multiplying the number of eligible examinations by the respective 2020 Medicare conversion factor Relative Value Units.ResultsUtilization of PoCUS from pre-implementation to post-implementation increased 28.7% from 5.01 to 6.45 mean examinations per month per 100 ED visits by all health care professionals (p = 0.063), and 75.1% from 2.01 to 3.52 by attending physicians (p = 0.0001). Examinations in compliance with workflow requirements increased from 153 (14.7%) to 1307 (94.0%). The rate of workflow compliance improved from 14.7% to 94.0% of examinations (p < 0.0001). Potential revenue increased from $546.01 to $22,014.47.ConclusionsThe implementation of a middleware-free PoCUS workflow at our institution was associated with increased PoCUS utilization, documentation compliance, and potential revenue.     

Emergency Physician–Administered Sedation for Pneumatic Reduction of Ileocolic Intussusception in Children: A Case Series

Background

Ileocolic intussusception is a major cause for intestinal obstruction in early childhood. Reduction of intussusception, in the vast majority of institutions, is performed on awake children, without sedation.

Laparoscopic surgery in the management of intussusception in children

Summary

The technique and outcome of minimally invasive laparoscopic treatment of various forms of intussusception in children after ineffective attempts at conservative treatment are described. 118 patients, aged from 1.5 months to 11 years were analysed. The suggested scheme of surgical treatment using a laparoscopic technique was successful in 82 patients (69.5%), and conversion to an open procedure occurred in 36 (30.5%). There was no mortality or intraoperative complications in our series. It is concluded that practically every form of intussusception without bowel necrosis, including the most complex forms, can be radically disinvaginated using modern video-laparoscopic equipment and atraumatic instruments.     

Paediatric intussusception: epidemiology and outcome

Objectives: (i) To describe the clinical presentation of intussusception and determine features associated with earlier diagnosis; (ii) to describe outcomes of children diagnosed with intussusception; and (iii) to determine whether time to diagnosis is associated with poorer prognosis. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of all patients presenting to a tertiary paediatric hospital with a diagnosis of intussusception during a 10 year study period. Results: One hundred and forty‐one confirmed cases met the inclusion criteria, giving an incidence of one case per 1450 ED presentations. The median age of presentation was 9 months, with a ratio of male to female of 2:1. Three or more of the four ‘classic’ features of intussusception (vomiting, abdominal pain, bloody/red currant jelly stool, or abdominal mass) were reported in only 46% of presentations. Median time to confirmation of diagnosis was 19 h from onset of symptoms. Ultrasound was the most commonly employed method used to confirm the diagnosis. Air enema had a success rate of 80%, with a reduced success rate beyond the first attempt. Early diagnosis was associated with decreased frequency of surgical intervention and need for bowel resection. Conclusion: The ‘classic’ picture of intussusception might frequently not be present in children with intussusception. Reliance on ‘classic’ features alone might delay diagnosis. Delayed diagnosis is associated with poorer patient outcomes. Air enema has a high success rate for reduction of intussusception.     

小肠套叠合并壁内或浆膜下积气是手术指征？

目的 探讨合并壁内或浆膜下积气的小肠套叠的发生率及其与灌肠复位成功率的关系。 方法 回顾性分析我院34例经超声诊断为小肠套叠患儿的资料,观察其超声表现。 结果 在超声诊断的34例小肠套叠中,23例(67.65%)经保守治疗或超声引导下水压灌肠后恢复,11例(32.35%)未恢复而采取手术治疗。10例(29.41%)超声声像图可见壁内积气,12例(35.29%)可见浆膜下积气,其中因不可恢复而接受手术治疗者分别为7例(7/10,70.00%)、8例(8/12,66.67%)。与无积气者比较,存在壁内或浆膜下积气的肠套叠患儿经保守治疗后恢复的比例较低(P<0.05)。 结论 对于小肠套叠患儿,超声检查中发现存在壁内或浆膜下积气提示保守治疗或灌肠复位的成功率较低,需要手术治疗。     

Management of the Child after Enema-Reduced Intussusception: Hospital or Home?

Background

Standard practice has been to admit children for an observation period after enema-reduced intussusception. However, the utility of such routine practice has not been clearly justified.

Study Objectives

The main objective was to determine the rate and timing of recurrent intussusception after successful enema reduction and describe any associated complications.

Methods

The study was a retrospective chart review identifying children with enema-reduced intussusception during a 7-year period from 2002 through 2008. Subjects were children ages 0 to 17 years presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) of a tertiary care, free-standing children’s hospital with confirmed and uncomplicated enema-reduced intussusception.

Results

During the study period there were 98 children with successful enema reduction of intussusception. There were 10 episodes of recurrence in 7 patients, for an overall recurrence rate of 7.1%. Three patients had two recurrences each, and the remainder had single recurrences. Two patients had early recurrences (<48h) at 3 and 5 h, for an early recurrence rate of 2.0%. The late recurrence rate (>48h) was 5.1%. No adverse events were noted in any of the recurrences.

Conclusions

Given the low early recurrence rate for enema-reduced intussusception and the minimal risk of adverse outcomes, ED observation for a 6-h period seems to be a safe alternative to inpatient management. These results support previous work and suggest that these patients can be managed on an outpatient basis.     

Emergency department care for patients with mental health problems,a longitudinal registry study and a before and after intervention study

ObjectiveTo describe the numbers and length of stay (LOS) of patients with mental health (MH) problems at a Dutch emergency department (ED) and the effect of a psychiatric intervention team (PIT) on patient flow.MethodsA longitudinal design was used to assess number of MH presentations and LOS during a 3-year period (2014–2016). In 2017, we introduced a PIT during ED peak hours, to reduce LOS for patients with MH problems. We evaluate the effects of the PIT on patients’ LOS with an 18-month before and after intervention study (2017–2018).ResultsTotal number of ED presentations increased with 4%. Total number of MH presentations increased with 23% from 2014 to 2016. LOS increased by 28 min (95 min vs. 123 min) for all presentations, while not changing for MH presentations (2014: 195 min, interquartile range (IQR) 120–293 and 2016: 190 min, IQR 116–296). In the before and after intervention study, number of MH presentations increased with 36% while LOS decreased with 46 min (p < 0.001).ConclusionsThe number of MH presentations increased over the three years while LOS remained similar. In the before and after intervention study, number of presentations increased even more while LOS decreased significantly. Specialist psychiatric input reduces ED LOS.     

Prospective Evaluation of Daily Performance Metrics to Reduce Emergency Department Length of Stay for Surgical Consults

Background

As part of a quality improvement initiative to reduce Emergency Department (ED) length of stay (LOS) for surgical consult patients, we e-mailed performance metrics to key stakeholders on a daily basis. ED and Surgery leadership used these daily metrics to identify and remedy contributing factors for increased ED LOS in patients who received surgical consults.

Objective

To evaluate whether a quality improvement process driven by a daily performance metric e-mail would be associated with a change in ED LOS for surgical consult patients.

Methods

Prospective before-after study looking at ED LOS for surgical consult patients after an e-mail intervention at a tertiary academic teaching hospital. All consecutive adult ED patients between July 1, 2010 and October 1, 2010 who received a general surgical consult were enrolled. The primary outcome measure was ED LOS, and secondary outcome measure was time to consultation.

Results

There were 916 patients who had surgical consults placed during the study period; 459 patients presented before the intervention and 457 patients presented after the intervention. The median LOS decreased 54 min, from 463 min (interquartile range [IQR] 326–617) before the intervention to 409 min (IQR 294.5–528.5) after the intervention (p < 0.001). Time to consultation decreased 25 min, from a median of 160 min (IQR 87–265) to 135 min (IQR 70–239.5) (p = 0.002). There was no difference in age, severity, number of consults, or disposition. There was also no difference in median LOS for other consultation services or in previous years during the same time period.

Conclusions

ED LOS and time to consultation were decreased for surgical consult patients after initiation of daily performance metric e-mails.     

Gastroduodenal intussusception caused by gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor: A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUNDGastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is the most common etiology of gastroduodenal intussusception. Although gastroduodenal intussusception caused by gastric GIST is mostly treated by surgical resection, the first case of gastroduodenal intussusception caused by gastric GIST was treated by endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in Japan in 2017. CASE SUMMARYAn 84-year-old woman presented with symptoms of postprandial fullness with nausea and occasional vomiting for a month. Initially, she visited a local clinic for help, where abdominal sonography revealed a space-occupying lesion around the liver, so she was referred to our hospital for further confirmation. Abdominal sonography was repeated, which revealed a mass with an alternating concentric echogenic lesion. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) was performed under the initial impression of gastric cancer with central necrosis and showed a tortuous distortion of gastric folds down from the lesser curvature side to the duodenal bulb with stenosis of the gastric outlet. EGD was barely passed through to the 2nd portion of the duodenum and a friable ulcerated mass was found. Several differential diagnoses were suspected, including gastroduodenal intussusception, gastric cancer invasion to the duodenum, or pancreatic cancer with adherence to the gastric antrum and duodenum. Abdominal computed tomography for further evaluation was arranged and showed gastroduodenal intussusception with a long stalk polypoid mass 5.9 cm in the duodenal bulb. Under the impression of gastroduodenal intussusception, ESD was performed at the base of the gastroduodenal intussusception; unfortunately, a gastric perforation was found after complete resection was accomplished, so gastrorrhaphy was performed for the perforation and retrieval of the huge polypoid lesion. The gastric tumor was pathologically proved to be a GIST. After the operation, there was no digestive disturbance and the patient was discharged uneventfully on the 10th day following the operation.CONCLUSIONWe present the second case of gastroduodenal intussusception caused by GIST treated by ESD. It is also the first case report of gastroduodenal intussusception by GIST in Taiwan, and endoscopic reduction or resection is an alternative treatment for elderly patients who are not candidates for surgery.     

Point of care ultrasound use by Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners in clinical practice: An integrative review

BackgroundNurses and nurse practitioners (NPs) are utilising point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) in practice. PoCUS is a useful tool to enhance clinical assessments and improve patient care. There have been no published literature reviews on this topic.AimsThe objective of this review is to examine the literature on PoCUS and draw conclusions to determine the implications of the use of PoCUS by registered nurses and nurse practitioners to inform nursing practice.DesignIntegrative review.MethodsData bases MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and Google scholar were searched for relevant articles between 2008 and 2018. The inclusion criteria were registered nurses and nurse practitioners using PoCUS in their clinical practice. Articles retrieved were in English and with full text. Articles were assessed for quality using TREND and a PRISMA flowchart is presented.FindingsSix eligible articles were examined identifying major findings of education in PoCUS, accuracy and mastery of a skill and clinical influence.DiscussionAn evaluation of the use of PoCUS by registered nurses and nurse practitioners provides evidence of its efficacy and potential to improve patient care and inform nursing practice.ConclusionSome registered nurses and nurse practitioners are expanding their scope of practice to include PoCUS to improve patient care. PoCUS requires investment in time and education.     

Impact of a qSOFA-based triage procedure on antibiotic timing in ED patients with sepsis: A prospective interventional study

BackgroundIt has not been investigated whether the quick sepsis-related organ failure assessment score (qSOFA), a new bedside tool for early sepsis detection, may help accelerating antibiotic initiation in ED patients with sepsis.MethodsIn this prospective pre/post quasi-experimental single-ED study, patients admitted with a suspected bacterial infection were managed using standard triage procedures only (baseline) or in association with qSOFA (intervention, with prioritization of patients with a qSOFA ≥ 2).ResultsA total of 151/328 (46.0%) and 185/350 (52.8%) patients with definite bacterial infection met the criteria for sepsis in the baseline and intervention periods, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of a qSOFA ≥ 2 for sepsis prediction were 17.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.6%–21.7%) and 98.8% (95% CI, 97.0%–99.5%). Eleven (7.3%) and 28 (13.5%) patients with sepsis in the baseline and intervention periods received a first antibiotic dose within one hour following triage (primary endpoint, absolute difference 6.2%, 95% CI [−0.5%, 12.7%], P = 0.08). The proportions of patients with sepsis receiving a first antibiotic dose within three hours following triage (39.7% [50/151] versus 36.8% [68/185], absolute difference − 2.9%, 95% CI [−13.3%, 7.3%], P = 0.65), requiring ICU admission, or dying in the hospital were similar in both periods. The median ED occupation rate at triage was 104.3% (interquartile range [IQR], 80.4%–128.3%), with a median number of 157 ED visits per day (IQR, 147–169).ConclusionsA qSOFA-based triage procedure does not improve antibiotic timing and outcomes in patients with sepsis admitted to a high-volume ED. The qSOFA value at triage was poorly sensitive for early sepsis detection.Trial registration (ClinicalTrials.gov): NCT03299894.     

Transient small bowel intussusceptions: ultrasound findings and clinical significance

Purpose To study the ultrasound (US) findings and clinical significance of transient small bowel intussusceptions (TSBI) in adults and children. Methods Clinical records and US findings of 108 consecutive patients of intestinal intussusception diagnosed on US between August 1995 and August 2004 were reviewed. In all cases, the length, diameter, wall thickness and color Doppler study of the bowel segment involved in intussusception were evaluated. Subsequent follow-up scans were performed at 30 min, 3 days and 2 weeks. Patients were clinically followed up for 6 months. Results Forty-one patients were diagnosed as TSBI. Thirty-six intussusceptions were incidentally detected during US performed for some unrelated disease or vague abdominal symptom. Five patients presented with signs of obstruction at the time of the initial US diagnosis; however, the intussusceptions resolved without any treatment and were not detected on follow-up scans. Sixty-seven symptomatic patients required surgical intervention. Conclusion Incidentally detected, small bowel intussusceptions without an identifiable pathological lead point, with a normal wall thickness, a length of less than 3.5 cm, normal nondilated proximal bowel and normal vascularity on color Doppler reduce spontaneously and are of no clinical significance.     

CARES: A Community-wide Collaboration Identifies Super-utilizers and Reduces Their 9-1-1 Call,Emergency Department,and Hospital Visit Rates

Background: A subset of individuals who inefficiently and frequently use emergency department (ED) services are called “super-utilizers.” Our healthcare system is fragmented and complex, making it difficult for providers to identify super-utilizers and address their wide range of health issues. Objective: The objective of our study was to evaluate a novel community-wide collaboration program called CARES (Community Assistance Referral and Education Services) designed to identify super-utilizers through local partnering organizations. CARES assists patients in developing their personal health and wellness goals, and navigates them away from 9-1-1 calls, emergency room visits, and hospital admissions, and toward more appropriate resources over 90 days. Methods: This was a retrospective observational analysis of the CARES program. Data were collected from March 2013 to December 2015. The study population included: enrolled adults with non-compliance of medication or treatment; behavioral health problems; multiple 9-1-1 responses in a short period of time; three or more ED visits within six months; patients with multiple hospital admissions. Adults who were outside of the study period or had missing outcome information were excluded. The primary outcomes of this study were the median rate of 9-1-1 calls/month/person, ED and hospital visits/month/person. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used to compare changes between pre- vs. post-enrollment for each subject. Results: A total of 441 subjects were included in this study. The majority of patients (64%) were female, 64% were white, and the median (IQR) age was 48 (35–62) years old. A total of 51% were on Medicaid and 69% identified behavioral health issues as their barriers to optimal health care. Between pre- and post-enrollment periods, the median (IQR) monthly rate of 9-1-1 calls, ED visits, and hospital admissions significantly decreased by 0.26 (?0.06, 0.90), 0.25 (?0.08, 0.71), and 0.18 (0.04, 0.53) (p < 0.001 for all). Conclusions: When health systems in a geographic area share data, they are better able to recognize patterns of overuse, and address them properly. This study demonstrated that a collaborative 90-day intervention identifying super-utilizers reduced the monthly rate of 9-1-1 calls, ED visits, and hospital admissions.     

Different Management Options for Anaphylactoid Purpura with Intussusception A Case Report

Intussusception is the most common surgical indication of anaphylactoid purpura. About 50% of cases are of the ileo-ileal type. Surgical intervention, rather than radiologic reduction, is preferable for older children suffering from anaphylactoid purpura with intussusception, where a lead point lesion is often found. The authors report a case of anaphylactoid purpura with intussusception with spontaneous reduction, and postulate that subsequent to relieving bowel-wall edema using antihistamine and steroid therapy, the ileo-ileal intussusception may spontaneously reduce.     

Choosing wisely in emergency medicine: Early results and insights from the ACEP emergency quality network (E-QUAL)

PurposeTo characterize performance among ED sites participating in the Emergency Quality Network (E-QUAL) Avoidable Imaging Initiative for clinical targets on the American College of Emergency Physicians Choosing Wisely list.MethodsThis was an observational study of quality improvement (QI) data collected from hospital-based ED sites in 2017–2018. Participating EDs reported imaging utilization rates (UR) and common QI practices for three Choosing Wisely targets: Atraumatic Low Back Pain, Syncope, or Minor Head Injury.Results305 ED sites participated in the initiative. Among all ED sites, the mean imaging UR for Atraumatic Low Back Pain was 34.7% (IQR 26.3%–42.6%) for XR, 19.1% (IQR 11.4%–24.9%) for CT, and 0.09% (IQR 0%–0.9%) for MRI. The mean CT UR for Syncope was 50.0% (IQR 38.0%–61.4%). The mean CT UR for Minor Head Injury was 72.6% (IQR 65.6%–81.7%). ED sites with sustained participation showed significant decreases in CT UR in 2017 compared to 2018 for Syncope (56.4% vs 48.0%; 95% CI: −12.7%, −4.1%) and Minor Head Injury (76.3% vs 72.1%; 95% CI: −7.3%, −1.1%). There was no significant change in imaging UR for Atraumatic Back Pain for XR (36.0% vs 33.3%; 95% CI: −5.9%, −0;5%), CT (20.1% vs 17.7%; 95% CI: −5.1%, −0.4%) or MRI (0.8% vs 0.7%, 95% CI: −0.4%, −0.3%).ConclusionsEarly data from the E-QUAL Avoidable Imaging Initiative suggests QI interventions could potentially improve imaging stewardship and reduce low-value care. Further efforts to translate the Choosing Wisely recommendations into practice should promote data-driven benchmarking and learning collaboratives to achieve sustained practice improvement.     

Exploring differential response to an emergency department-based care transition intervention

ObjectiveTo identify multivariable subgroups of patients with differential responses to a nurse-delivered care transition intervention after an emergency department (ED) visit in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) using an emerging data-driven method.DesignSecondary analysis of RCT.Participants512 individuals enrolled in an RCT of a nurse-delivered care transition intervention after an ED visit. All 512 participants were included in a pre-specified subgroup analysis, and 451 of these had sufficient complete case data to be included in a model-based recursive (MoB) partitioning analysis.MethodsThe primary outcome was having at least one ED visit in 30 days after the index ED visit. Two analytical methods explored heterogeneity of treatment effects: data driven model-based recursive partitioning (MoB) using 37 candidate baseline variables, and a contextual point of comparison with prespecified subgroups defined by ED super-user status (≥ 3 ED visits in previous 6 months or not), sex (male/female), and age, individually examined via treatment arm by subgroup interaction terms in logistic regression models. Internal validation of the MoB analysis via bootstrap resampling with an optimism corrected c-statistic was conducted to provide a bias-corrected estimate.ResultsMoB detected treatment effect heterogeneity in a single subgroup, marital status. Unmarried patients randomized to the intervention had a repeat ED use rate of 22% compared to 34% in the usual care group; married patients randomized to the intervention had a 27% ED return rate compared to 12% in the usual care group. Internal validation demonstrated an optimism corrected c-statistic of 0.54. No treatment-by-covariate subgroup interactions were identified among the 3 prespecified subgroups.ConclusionAlthough exploratory, the results of the MoB analysis suggest that patient factors related to social relationships such as marital status may be important contributors to differential response to a care transition intervention after an ED visit. These were characteristics that the investigators had not anticipated or planned to examine in the individual prespecified subgroup analysis. Data-driven methods can yield unexpected findings and contribute to a more complete understanding of differential treatment effects in subgroup analysis, which can inform further work on development of effective care transition interventions in the ED setting.     

The Intra- and Inter-rater Reliability of an Arm Care Screening Tool in High School Baseball Coaches

BackgroundPreseason movement screening can identify modifiable risk factors, deterioration of function, and potential for injury in baseball players. Limited resources and time intensive testing procedures prevent high school coaches from accurately performing frequent movement screens on their players.PurposeTo establish the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of a novel arm care screening tool based on the concepts of the Functional Movement Screen (FMS™) and Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA™) in high school coaches.Study DesignMethodological intra- and inter-rater reliability studyMethodsThirty-one male high school baseball players (15.9 years ± 1.06) were independently scored on the Arm Care Screen (ACS) by three examiners (two coaches, one physical therapist) in real-time and again seven days later by reviewing video recordings of each players’ initial screening performance. Results from each examiner were compared within and between raters using Cohen’s kappa and percent absolute agreement.ResultsSubstantial to excellent intra-rater and inter-rater reliability were established among all raters for each component of the ACS. The mean Cohen’s kappa coefficient for intra-rater reliability was 0.76 (95% confidence interval, 0.54-0.95) and percent absolute agreement ranged from 0.82-0.94 among all raters. Inter-rater reliability demonstrated a mean Cohen’s kappa value of 0.89 (95% confidence interval, 0.77-0.99) while percent absolute agreement between raters ranged from 0.81-1.00. Intra- and inter-rater reliability did not differ between raters with various movement screening experience (p>0.05).ConclusionsHigh school baseball coaches with limited experience screening movement can reliably score all three components of the ACS in less than three minutes with minimal training.Level of EvidenceLevel 3, Reliability study     

Can the “important brain injury criteria” predict neurosurgical intervention in mild traumatic brain injury? A validation study

BackgroundThere is variability in the management of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) and abnormal findings on their initial head computed tomography (CT). The main objective of this study was to validate the value of the Important Brain Injury (IBI) criteria, introduced by the Canadian CT-Head Rule, in predicting the need for surgical intervention. The secondary objective was to identify independent predictors for neurosurgical intervention.MethodsThis is a post hoc analysis of a prospective cohort of adult patients presenting to the ED of one tertiary care, academic center, between 2008 and 2012, with MTBI and an abnormal initial head CT. Neurosurgical intervention was at the discretion of the treating physician. The sensitivity and specificity of the IBI criteria were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI95%). A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify independent predictors for neurosurgical intervention with the direct entry method.ResultsA total of 678 patients (male = 65.9%, mean age = 62.5 years) were included, of whom 114 (16.8%) required neurosurgical intervention. All patients requiring neurosurgical intervention met IBI criteria on their initial head CT (sensitivity of 100% [CI95% 96.8–100]). However, 368 (65.2%) patients with findings of IBI did not require neurosurgical intervention (specificity of 34.8% [CI95% 30.8–38.8]). Age over 65 was independently associated with neurosurgical intervention in the IBI population.ConclusionThe IBI criteria for MTBI identified all patients who required neurosurgical intervention; however its specificity is low.