Usiakimi Igbaseimokumo - Brain CT Scans in Clinical Practice

Epidural hematoma! Emergency action required! ABCs and call neurosurgeon!

An illustrated guide for ER physicians, trauma surgeons, primary care physicians, residents, medical students, nurses and other care givers

Across emergency rooms all over the world, thousands of patients are referred for brain CT scans daily. A radiologist often has to interpret the scan or a consultation has to be made to a neurosurgeon to review the scan. Most of this happens late at night and is a significant source of discontent. Thus, having frontline physicians to be proficient in interpreting the emergency brain CT scan improves the efficiency of the whole pathway of care and is potentially lifesaving as time is of the essence for many patients with severe brain injury or stroke.

Underlying all of the above and the primary reason for writing this book is that the skill required to determine an immediate life-threatening abnormality in a brain CT scan is so basic and can be learned in a short time by people of various backgrounds and certainly by all physicians. Indeed, the emergency head CT scan is comparable to an electrocardiogram in usefulness and most definitely as easy to learn. This book is therefore written for caregivers the world over to demystify the emergency CT brain scan and to empower them to serve their patients better. It is obvious to me from the responses from people I have had opportunity to teach this subject that not only is there a desire to learn this basic skill but also people learn it quickly and wonder why it has not been presented so simply before.

It is to fulfil this need and to reach a wider number that I have put together these basic, proven steps in the interpretation of emergency brain CT scan for ER physicians, trauma surgeons, primary care physicians, nurses, medical students and other primary caregivers.

Since the first edition, the transition from X-ray film-based delivery of images to electronic delivery (e.g. PACS) has become more widespread. However, the examination of individual slices to reconstruct a three-dimensional image remains the cornerstone of CT imaging; hence this volume has retained the present format while recognizing the ability of the non-radiologist provider to manipulate individual images including enlarging and changing the window level. This technology is by no means universal and therefore not assumed in the description of images in this text.

My heartiest gratitude goes to my wife Ebitimi and my kids Gesiye, Ilayefa and Binaere who volunteered the real cost in time to prepare this book. My eternal gratitude to the IsounsTurner and Miriamfor spiritual, financial and intellectual support on this and every other project I ever embarked upon, thank you.