PEDIATRIC BASILAR SKULL FRACTURE - DO CHILDREN WITH NORMAL NEUROLOGICFINDINGS AND NO INTRACRANIAL INJURY REQUIRE HOSPITALIZATION

Study objective: To delineate complications in patients with basilar s kull fractures (BSFs) and normal neurologic findings, including comput ed tomography (CT) scans without intracranial injury, and to assess th e need for hospitalization. Design: Retrospective chart review. Partic ipants: All emergency department patients with the ED diagnosis or hos pital discharge diagnosis of BSF. Patients were included if they had a clinical Dr radiographic diagnosis of BSF. A subgroup of patients ('' simple BSF'') with normal neurologic examination findings in the ED, G lasgow Coma Scale scores of 15, and cranial CT scans without intracran ial pathology was specifically analyzed. Results: We included 239 pati ents in the study. One hundred fourteen patients (48%) were included i n the ''simple BSF'' subgroup. 117 this subgroup, vomiting (6%) was th e most common complication, meningitis (1%) the most serious. There we re no cases of delayed intracranial hemorrhage, and no patient with '' simple BSF'' required surgery. Conclusion: Given the relatively low fr equency of serious complications, our study suggests that some patient s with BSFs may not require hospital admission.