Methodology: 2/5
Usefulness: 4/5
Leichtle SW, et al. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2020 Nov;89(5):880-886.
Question and Methods: Existing BCVI screening guidelines misses important injuries; the authors evaluated the diagnostic characteristics of the Modified and Expanded Denver Criteria with CTA as gold standard.
Findings: The sensitivities for Modified and Expanded criteria were 72.2% and 82.5% respectively. Approximately 18% of patients with BCVI would be missed by the expanded criteria.
Limitations: Retrospective single-center study with a sicker trauma population limits its generalizability to most emergency departments.
Interpretation: Given the modest sensitivity of the Denver criteria, universal screening could be considered for major blunt trauma patients to improve detection of clinically relevant BCVIs.
By: Dr. Omar Anjum
