Impact of early follow-up CT in the conservative management of traumatic brain injury on surgical decision making: A retrospective, single-center analysis with special respect to coagulopathy.

Early routine follow-up CT does neither anticipate imminent neurological deterioration nor impact surgical decision making. A substantial number of patients with initially stable follow-up imaging need delayed surgery due to conservative treatment failure. If patients can be monitored clinically, surgical decision making depends on clinical status. Patients with coagulopathy do not present with larger lesions, but show a higher ratio of drastic increase in SDH in contrast to contusions.