Journal of clinical forensic medicine
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J Clin Forensic Med · Feb 2006
A retrospective case series of skeletal surveys in children with suspected non-accidental injury.
The skeletal survey is widely used as the principal radiological investigation in suspected physical abuse of infants and young children. However, the evidence on which current guidelines are based is limited, especially for siblings of index cases. We conducted a retrospective study to describe the characteristics of children who underwent skeletal surveys for suspected non-accidental injury (NAI) in the Edinburgh area; to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of skeletal surveys; and to identify any predictive factors that might guide clinical practice. ⋯ The age of a child (<12 months) and type of presenting injury (overt fracture or head injury) are factors which can help the clinician to decide whether or not to obtain a skeletal survey. There remains a lack of evidence for the effectiveness of skeletal survey in the siblings of index children. Guidelines for the process of repeating uncertain skeletal surveys are needed.