CLINICAL DECISION RULES IN EVALUATING HEAD TRAUMA IN ADULT POPULATION AT THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, DUBRAVA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Sa？etak Head trauma is a common presentation in the Emergency Department (ED), ranging from skull fractures, minor traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) to severe TBIs in polytraumas. In moderate traumatic brain injuries, patient assessment and diagnostic work-ups can be ameliorated with the application of Clinical Decision Rules (CDRs) such as the Canadian CT Head Rule (CCHR) and the National Institute for Care and Excellence (NICE) guidelines. Optimal adherence to these CDRs greatly bene？ ts patients, reduces waiting times, ED overcrowding, mortality and ED clinician pitfalls. The aim of this report is to provide the reader with a brief review of the CCHR and NICE guidelines, which are implemented in Dubrava University Hospital, with an overview as to how our ED collaborates with its neurosurgical team and other surgical specialists in situations of polytrauma and TBI patients, mainly focusing on TBI. In addition, we will introduce the Dubrava Model, one of the neurotrauma models implemented in fast treatment of TBIs in rural hospitals devoid of resident neurosurgeon