Emergency & trauma

New Orleans head CT criteria

Seven CT criteria in adults with GCS 15 after minor head trauma.

Intended population: Adults with blunt head trauma within 24 hours, loss of consciousness/amnesia/disorientation, GCS 15, and normal neurologic examination.

All responses must reflect a clinician's verified history and examination. An unassessed finding is not an absent finding.
Lower specificity than CCHR may result in more scans. A negative result does not determine disposition or assess nontraumatic causes.

Age (years)

Meets every inclusion criterion above?

Anticoagulation, antiplatelet therapy other than aspirin alone, bleeding disorder, penetrating injury, or unstable major trauma?

Headache?

Vomiting?

Drug or alcohol intoxication?

Short-term memory deficit?

Physical evidence of trauma above clavicles?

Posttraumatic seizure?

Sources and scoring references

Original New Orleans head CT study (2000) ↗ACEP current adult mild head injury policy ↗

Implementation references reviewed October 28, 2026. Verify applicability and unusual or treatment-changing results against the linked references and local guidance.