Clinical Decision Tool
PECARN Head Trauma Rules
Evidence-based clinical decision rules for identifying children at very low risk of clinically important traumatic brain injuries. Validated on over 42,000 patients.
Why PECARN Rules Matter for Legal Cases
The PECARN Head Trauma Rules are not suggestions—they represent the accepted standard of care for pediatric head injury evaluation. When emergency physicians deviate from these validated criteria without proper documentation, it may constitute a potential standard of care violation.
Validated Evidence
42,000+ patient study
Standard of Care
Widely accepted protocol
Legal Significance
Expert witness testimony
Download Complete Guidelines
Children Under 2 Years
Specific criteria and decision algorithms for infants and toddlers
Key Criteria Include:
- • Normal mental status
- • No scalp hematoma (except frontal)
- • No loss of consciousness ≥5 seconds
- • Non-severe injury mechanism
- • No palpable skull fracture
- • Acting normally per parents
Children 2-18 Years
Decision rules for children, adolescents, and young adults
Key Criteria Include:
- • Normal mental status (GCS 15)
- • No loss of consciousness
- • No vomiting
- • Non-severe injury mechanism
- • No severe headache
- • No signs of basilar skull fracture
Need Expert Analysis of Your PECARN Case?
Get professional medical expert analysis to determine if PECARN violations occurred in your pediatric head injury case.