COMPUTERIZED-TOMOGRAPHY SCANS OF THE HEAD IN A DISTRICT GENERAL-HOSPITAL

We report the results of a retrospective study of all computerised tom ography (CT) brain scans of adult patients carried out over a 10-week period, based on radiological and clinical records. The commonest scan results were normal (51%) and stroke (26%), with an overall diagnosti c accuracy of 43/80 (54%). On the basis of a retrospective blind surve y by a neurologist 42% of scans were thought not to be indicated. The results indicate the need for: guidelines on the use of CT scanning in stroke emphasis of current guidelines on the use of CT scanning in he ad injury neurological assessment of some suspected diagnoses before s canning.