RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Abusive head trauma and the triad: a critique on behalf of RCPCH of ‘Traumatic shaking: the role of the triad in medical investigations of suspected traumatic shaking’
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood
JO Arch Dis Child
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP archdischild-2017-313855
DO 10.1136/archdischild-2017-313855
A1 Geoffrey David Debelle
A1 Sabine Maguire
A1 Patrick Watts
A1 Rosa Nieto Hernandez
A1 Alison Mary Kemp
A1 ,
YR 2018
UL http://adc.bmj.com/content/early/2018/03/06/archdischild-2017-313855.abstract
AB The Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services (SBU) has recently published what they purported to be a systematic review of the literature on ‘isolated traumatic shaking’ in infants, concluding that ‘there is limited evidence that the so-called triad (encephalopathy, subdural haemorrhage, retinal haemorrhage) and therefore its components can be associated with traumatic shaking’. This flawed report, from a national body, demands a robust response. The conclusions of the original report have the potential to undermine medico-legal practice. We have conducted a critique of the methodology used in the SBU review and have found it to be flawed, to the extent that children’s lives may be put at risk. Thus, we call on this review to be withdrawn or to be subjected to international scrutiny.