Can-SCAHn Multicentre
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Selective neuroimaging for head-injured emergency patients who take anticoagulant medication.
IRAS ID
315924
Contact name
Gordon Fuller
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queens University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
STH22187, Lead NHS Site ref
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 8 months, 15 days
Research summary
Emergency departments are treating more people who are prescribed blood thinners (anticoagulants) than ever before. Blood thinners are helpful to prevent strokes and blood clots, but they can also increase the chances of bleeding problems. People who take blood thinners are told to go to the emergency department if they have a head injury, because they could develop a brain bleed.
Until now, there has been little research on the risk of having a brain bleed after a head injury in people taking blood thinners. It was assumed that the risk of a brain bleed is high, so guidelines advise having a head CT scan even if the head injury is minor and the patient feels well. Our investigator group found that the risk of a brain bleed is not as high as once thought.
We plan to conduct the largest study ever done on people who are prescribed blood thinners with a head injury. We will develop a new bedside decision rule (or test) which will tell the doctor if a head CT scan is needed or not. The study will recruit 4000 emergency department patients from Canada, the United States, and Britain. Patients are entered into the study if they are on blood thinners and come to the emergency department with a head injury. Everyone will have a head CT scan as customary, and we will develop the new rule at the end of the study.
If our new rule is safe and effective, it would not only reduce unnecessary head CT scans but also allow physicians to immediately reassure many patients that they do not have a brain bleed.
REC name
London - Riverside Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/PR/0580
Date of REC Opinion
16 Jun 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion