Electronic medical record study of the rate of CT and MRI scanning of female victims of nonfatal strangulation for identification of brain injury

Background: In the US, 1 in 6 adult women will experience non-fatal strangulation (NFS) such as choking or suffocation in their lifetimes. NFS is a severe form of intimate partner violence (IPV), characterized by external pressure on the neck that can lead to hypoxic injuries which can be classified as a type of injury to the brain including traumatic brain injury (TBI). Brain injuries are best identified through CT and MRI scanning, MRI being far superior. To date the appropriate, standardized care for NFS victims allows for clinician’s judgement as to the medical necessity of CT or MRI scans to identify brain injury. It is unknown the extent to which clinicians seek those scans after an assault diagnosis in women.