Abusive Head Trauma

Case

  • 6-month-old white female was taken to the hospital by the caretaker after the infant was found unresponsive in her crib; there was no history of trauma.
  • In the ED, the infant required intubation. There was no external evidence of injury on physical examination;
  • Lab work showed mild anemia, normal coagulation and negative tox screens;
  • Head CT imaging showed intracranial blood without fractures or external soft tissue swelling;
  • Eye exam suggesting of retinal bleeding;
  • Skeletal survey found multiple posterior rib fractures;
  • Child later died and medical examiner was notified.

CHAMP Education for Child Abuse Medical Providers

Accessible Version

A case example can help understand how to approach the medical evaluation once there are concerns for abusive head trauma. In this case, a 6 month-old white female was taken to the hospital by the caretaker after the infant was found unresponsive in her crib; there was no history of trauma. In the ED, the infant required intubation. There was no external evidence of injury on physical examination; Lab work showed mild anemia, normal coagulation and negative tox screens; Head CT imaging showed intracranial blood without fractures or external soft tissue swelling and an eye exam suggested retinal bleeding; Skeletal survey found multiple posterior rib fractures; The child later died and medical examiner was notified.