The objective of this study was to determine whether prehospital trauma arrival notification was associated with more head computed tomography (CT) scans and image studies performed in patients with minor head trauma and discharged from emergency department (ED).

A retrospective cross-sectional study based on hospital electronic medical record was performed. Patients with head trauma indicated by their diagnostic codes or chief complaints, presenting to and discharged from ED in a level I trauma center between January 1, 2010, and June 30, 2014, and triage Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score 14 or greater were selected from electronic medical record. Triage prehospital trauma arrival notification, number and types of image studies performed, and basic demographics were extracted. χ² Analysis (or Fisher test) was applied to compare the proportions of patients who received image studies between prehospital trauma arrival notification and non-notification groups.

There were 3603 patients with head trauma, triage GCS score 14 or greater, and discharged from ED. Mean age was 43.8 years. Forty-six percent was female. Thirty-two point nine percent was Hispanic, and 28.6% was black. Numbers (proportions) of patients who received prehospital trauma arrival notification, head CT scan, or any image study (x-ray, CT, magnetic resonance imaging, or sonogram) were 287 (8.0%), 1621 (45.0%), and 2267 (63.0%), respectively. Compared with patients without prehospital trauma arrival notifications, patients with prehospital trauma arrival notifications were significantly more likely to receive a head CT scan as well as an image study.

Prehospital trauma arrival notification was associated with significantly more head CT scans and more image studies in patients with minor head trauma and discharged from ED.