Lesson of the month 2: Contusion confusion

Clin Med (Lond). 2017 Jun;17(3):282-283. doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.17-3-282.

Abstract

This lesson of the month highlights that certain radiology terminology may be used to report bleeding on head computerised tomography (CT) reports. On-call junior doctors should not be expected to interpret CT head images, so often their decisions will be based on the written report. The wording used can change the clinical decision and therefore the treatment given by a junior doctor. Clinical teams and junior doctors should be educated on terminology in relation to bleeding on CT head reports.

Keywords: Acute intracranial haemorrhage; CT head; anticoagulation; contusion; fall.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Accidental Falls*
  • Aged
  • Anticoagulants / therapeutic use
  • Atrial Fibrillation / drug therapy
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain / pathology
  • Contusions / diagnostic imaging*
  • Contusions / pathology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intracranial Hemorrhage, Traumatic / diagnostic imaging*
  • Intracranial Hemorrhage, Traumatic / pathology
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Warfarin / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Anticoagulants
  • Warfarin