Silver trauma dilemma: Anticoagulant continuation following minor head injury.

Data on delayed traumatic intracranial haemorrhage following minor head injury (normal initial CT brain) are limited, but the incidence appears to be low with most cases not being clinically severe. Given that the indications for anticoagulation are multiple and the risks of withholding anticoagulation for a period are variable, the situation seems well-suited to shared decision making between patients, their carers and clinicians. Stage 1: Literature search on summary on risks versus benefits in the more common clinical settings for which anticoagulants are recommended. Stage 2: Creation of a shared decision-making tool with input from relevant medical specialists and consumer representatives. On completion, the tool will be incorporated into practice following the usual submission to and approval from the relevant Quality and Safety Committees and Monash Health Clinical Council. Stage 3: Formulation of a study protocol for a survey to assess consumer/clinician satisfaction with the tool. Ethics submission would be as a low/negligible-risk project, which is usual for surveys.