The incidence of vascular injuries in patients with negative cervical computed tomography (CT) following blunt trauma.

Abstract

Introduction: Computed tomography (CT) angiography is commonly utilized to quickly identify vascular injuries caused by blunt cervical trauma. It is often conducted alongside a cervical spine CT, based on established criteria. This study assessed the prevalence of cervical vascular injuries identified via CT angiography (CTA) in patients who had negative findings on cervical CT scans.

Materials and methods: A retrospective study was performed on patients who experienced blunt trauma from January 2020 to December 2022 and underwent both cervical CT and CTA. The sample size was determined using the formula: n = (Z^2 * P * (1 - P)) / E^2, assuming a 99% confidence interval, a 2% margin of error, and a proportion of 0.05.

Results: A total of 1,165 patients presented with acute blunt trauma to the head and neck during the study period. Out of those, 800 patients (68.7%) had negative cervical CT scans and only 5 patients (0.6%) were found to have vascular injuries on CTA, with an average age of 44.2 years. Regarding the severity of the injuries, three were classified as grade I and two as grade II. On the other hand, of the 365 patients with positive cervical CT, 44 patients (12%) had vascular injury on CTA, including 16 patients (4.5%) with grades III and IV injuries.

Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that CTA in patients with negative cervical CT scans seldom reveals vascular injuries, with no injuries exceeding grade II. This highlights the selective utility of CTA in this patient group.