Head computed tomography findings predict short-term @entity64 risk after XXXX .

@entity1 @entity64 @entity63 @entity75 @entity1188 @entity194 @entity729 @entity62
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Current guidelines recommend the use of head CT in the evaluation of @entity1 with @entity63 ( @entity63 ), but data supporting its value are sparse. METHODS: @entity1 who presented to 1 of 16 emergency departments of a large Northern California health maintenance organization and received a diagnosis of @entity63 from November 1997 through February 1998 were enrolled and followed up for 90 days. Clinical, demographic, and outcome data were obtained from computerized databases and medical records. Physicians blinded to @entity1 characteristics and outcomes abstracted head CT findings from radiology reports. Abstracted findings included evidence of old or new @entity62 , @entity194 , @entity729 , and @entity75 . RESULTS: Head CT was performed in 67% of eligible @entity1 (n=322) diagnosed with @entity63 . Evidence of a new @entity1188 was seen on head CT in 13 @entity1 (4%). A nonischemic cause of @entity63 symptoms was found in 4 @entity1 (1.2%). During follow-up, 10.9% of @entity63 @entity1 experienced subsequent @entity64 . After adjustment for confounders, risk for @entity64 during follow-up was significantly higher in those with a new @entity1188 on head CT compared with others with @entity63 (odds ratio, 4.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.16 to 14.14; P=0.028). Old @entity1188 , periventricular white-matter disease, @entity194 , and @entity729 were not predictors of subsequent risk of @entity64 . CONCLUSIONS: Evidence of a new @entity1188 on head CT in @entity1 presenting with @entity63 is associated with increased short-term risk for @entity64 . Head CT appears to have prognostic value in @entity1 with @entity63 and, for this reason alone, may be justified in their evaluation.
