Cervical Spine Clearance in Pediatric Trauma Patients

Cervical spine trauma in pediatric patients poses a challenge for evaluating physicians. Children under 3 years of age lack the mental development to cooperate with clinical cervical spine clearance. Regular CT evaluation in these patients may overlook a soft tissue based injury while also exposing them to increased radiation. Delayed clearance is associated with an increased complication rate and mortality is increased in geriatric patients. Back to Mail Online home. Back to the page you came from.