Academy suggests CT in ER for some seizure patients

New American Academy of Neurology guidelines recommend immediate CT brain scans for some patients who arrive in the emergency room with seizures.

The AAN-appointed Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee, led by Dr. Cynthia L. Harden of Cornell University, reviewed all the clinical literature related to neuroimaging of ER patients available online through the National Library of Medicine from 1966 to November 2004. Investigators found considerable evidence indicating that head CT scans are useful in this setting, especially for the management of young children and patients presenting with their first seizure, a history of AIDS, or a predisposing condition (Neurology 2007;69[18]: 1772-1780).