New draft guidelines published today from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) call for significant changes to the way that people with head injuries are currently being treated.
Every year around 1.4 million people go to A&E with a head injury, about 200,000 of which are admitted to hospital. 70,000 of these are children under the age of 14, with head injuries being the most common cause of death for the under 40s.
The new guidelines are calling for people who have suffered a head injury to be taken directly to hospital with resuscitation equipment, rather than been taken to their nearest hospital as they are at the moment. Additionally, anyone who is showing signs of a life threatening injury should be given a CT brain scan within the hour. Typical symptoms include repeated vomiting, loss of consciousness and seizures.
Other recommendations include involving specially trained doctors to deal with sensitive cases, particularly where a vulnerable person may be affected. If it looks like an injury may not have been caused by an accident, such as cases of domestic abuse, the new guidelines say a specialist should be involved in checks when patients are seen at A&E.
The guidelines follow a number of recent changes and advances over the last few years in the way that head injuries are being dealt with, including the introduction of regional trauma networks in 2010.
Professor Mark Baker, director of the centre for clinical practice at NICE, said: Our guidelines must continue to reflect the best available, up to date evidence so as to demonstrate best practice to the NHS and to save lives. This latest update makes recommendations on the early detection and treatment of potentially life threatening brain injuries”
The new guidelines are currently in draft stage and subject to consultation. They are expected to be published in January 2014. Until then the NHS should continue to follow the recommendations set out in the existing guidelines.
Read the source article here: http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice/clinical-zones/accident-and-emergency/guildelines-call-for-ct-scans-for-head-injuries-within-one-hour/5062350.article?blocktitle=News&contentID=4385
NICE has opened a consultation on its updated draft recommendations and is inviting views from organisations that have registered an interest in this guideline.
Organisations can register an interest here
http://www.nice.org.uk/ourguidance/niceguidancebytype/clinicalguidelines/shregistration/shregistration.jsp
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