CT Scan and Common Brain Injuries

Course overview

Computed tomography (CT) scans are essential for emergent and urgent diagnosis of brain injuries. CT scans are preferred over other forms of imaging due to their availability, lower comparable costs, and the brief amount of time it takes to perform. According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines, a patient presenting with stroke-like symptoms should have a CT scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) completed within 20 minutes of arriving to the emergency department (ED) (Powers et al., 2019). Understanding the anatomy of the normal, injured, or diseased brain can help improve awareness of common brain injuries that can be diagnosed with a CT scan.