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Comparison of Image Quality Between Ultra-low Dose (ULD) and Standard Dose CT Scans in Detecting Traumatic Brain Injury in the Emergency Room

Comparison of Image Quality Between Ultra-low Dose (ULD) and Standard Dose CT Scans in Detecting Traumatic Brain Injury in the Emergency Room

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05210855
Acronym
ULD-CRANE 2
Enrollment
77
Registered
2022-01-27
Start date
2022-05-12
Completion date
2023-10-19
Last updated
2025-03-10

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Closed Head Injury, Penetrating Head Injury

Brief summary

Head trauma is a frequent reason for consultation in the emergency room. The CT scan is the reference examination allowing rapid management of the patient. However, CT examinations are among the diagnostic examinations with the highest exposure to ionizing radiation. The study investigators have previously implemented ultra-low dose (ULD) acquisitions for several pathologies with an effective dose level similar to that of a standard radiographic examination. These ULD acquisitions are now routinely used in our clinical practice for explorations of the thorax, spine, pelvis and proximal femurs, extremities. This study expands these ULD acquisitions to skull CT for detecting traumatic intracranial lesions. The study investigators hypothesize that it would be possible to search for intracranial lesions in patients with head trauma using ULD protocols, thereby reducing the doses delivered to the patient while maintaining sufficient image quality for the diagnosis.

Interventions

DIAGNOSTIC_TESTCT scan

Scan with classic dose followed by ultra-low dose

Sponsors

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Patient presenting to the emergency room of the CHU of Nîmes for a cranial trauma requiring scanning. * Patient with isolated head injury or polytrauma patient with head injury among others. * The patient or their legal representative or family member must have given their free and informed consent and signed the consent form, or the patient was included under an emergency situation * The patient must be a member or beneficiary of a health insurance plan

Exclusion criteria

* The subject is participating in a study prohibiting participation in other studies, or is in a period of exclusion determined by a previous study * Patient is pregnant, parturient or breastfeeding

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Image quality of ultra-low dose scan compared to classic dose for visualising the differentiation of grey/white matterDay 05-point scale: unacceptable, sub-optimal, acceptable, better than average
Image quality of ultra-low dose scan compared to classic dose for visualising lenticular nucleiDay 05-point scale: unacceptable, sub-optimal, acceptable, better than average
Image quality of ultra-low dose scan compared to classic dose for visualising the ventricular systemDay 05-point scale: unacceptable, sub-optimal, acceptable, better than average
Image quality of ultra-low dose scan compared to classic dose for visualising basal cisternsDay 05-point scale: unacceptable, sub-optimal, acceptable, better than average
Image quality of ultra-low dose scan compared to classic dose for visualising deconvexed subarachnoid spacesDay 05-point scale: unacceptable, sub-optimal, acceptable, better than average

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Presence of at least one intracranial hemorrhage by ultra-low dose versus classical scannerDay 0Yes/no
Presence of at least one cranial bone lesion by ultra-low dose versus classical scannerDay 0Yes/no
Presence of at least one bone lesion by ultra-low dose versus classical scannerDay 0Yes/no
Inter-evaluator concordance (senior versus junior) in visualizing all five structures (differentiation of grey/white matter, lenticular nuclei, ventricular system, basal cisterns, deconvexed subarachnoid spaces)Day 0Total score of the 5 Likert scores
Radiologist-reported diagnostic quality of ultra-low dose versus classical scannerDay 04-point Likert scale: unacceptable, sub-optimal, acceptable, better than average
Radiologist-reported confidence level of ultra-low dose versus classical scannerDay 04-point Likert scale: unacceptable, sub-optimal, acceptable, better than average
Interpretation time of ultra-low dose versus classical scanner for a senior and junior evaluatorDay 0Minutes
Radiologist-reported image quality of ultra-low dose versus classical scannerDay 04-point Likert scale: Interpretable, interpretable despite moderate technical issues (centering, movement, constant), entirely interpretable despite moderate technical issues (centering, movement, constant), No technical issues
Presence of at least one extradural hematoma by ultra-low dose versus classical scannerDay 0Yes/no
Presence of at least one subarachnoid hemorrhage by ultra-low dose versus classical scannerDay 0Yes/no
Presence of at least one subdural hematoma by ultra-low dose versus classical scannerDay 0Yes/no
Presence of at least one intraparenchymal hemorrhage by ultra-low dose versus classical scannerDay 0Yes/no

Countries

France

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026