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Emergency Medicine · Pediatrics

PECARN Pediatric Head Trauma Low-Risk Criteria calculator

Enter the published formula inputs below to calculate and interpret this score.

Clinical inputs

PECARN head trauma criteria are applied within the selected age stratum (younger than 2 years versus 2 years or older).

Result

Complete all required inputs to calculate the score.

Formula inputs

  • Age group
  • Glasgow Coma Scale score less than 15
  • Palpable skull fracture
  • Altered mental status
  • Non-frontal scalp hematoma
  • History of loss of consciousness
  • Severe mechanism of injury
  • Not acting normally per parent report
  • Signs of basilar skull fracture
  • Severe headache
  • Vomiting

Primary source

Kuppermann N et al. Identification of children at very low risk of clinically-important brain injuries after head trauma: a prospective cohort study. Lancet. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61558-0. PMID: 19758692. Scope: binary output 0 when no age-stratum PECARN high-risk criterion is present (GCS<15, skull fracture/basilar signs, AMS, scalp hematoma pattern, LOC, severe mechanism, parental concern or headache/vomiting in older children). (2009)

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