Screening for and Treatment of Blunt
Cerebrovascular Injuries Algorithm

Annotation for Point A

Trauma patients with any of the following signs or symptoms should be considered to have BCVI until proven otherwise:

• arterial hemorrhage from neck, mouth, nose, ears;
• large or expanding cervical hematoma;
• cervical bruit in a patient younger than 50 years;
• focal or lateralizing neurologic deficit, including
• evidence of cerebral infarction on computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan; or
• neurologic deficit that is incongruous with CT or MRI findings.

Any of these findings should prompt emergent diagnostic evaluation and interventions directed at hemorrhage control or stroke management.