PECARN Pediatric C-Spine Rule
PECARN pediatric cervical-spine injury rule (Leonard 2019): the 8 risk factors of the model tested there after blunt trauma.
Open the tool → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Altered mental status
- No
- Diving mechanism
- No
- Focal neurologic deficit
- No
- Neck pain
- Yes
- Decreased neck mobility
- No
- Substantial torso injury
- No
- Predisposing condition
- No
- High-risk motor vehicle collision
- Yes
Result: PECARN C-Spine: 2 of 8 risk factors present -> NOT low risk per Leonard 2019; cervical-spine imaging warranted.
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What the result means
- all 8 absent
- Lower risk per Leonard 2019. The model was 90.5% sensitive and 45.6% specific; it is not a validated rule for clearing the cervical spine.
- any present
- Not low risk per Leonard 2019; cervical-spine imaging warranted.
What you enter
- Altered mental status
- Diving mechanism
- Focal neurologic deficit
- Neck pain
- Decreased neck mobility (reported or on exam, including torticollis)
- Substantial torso injury
- Predisposing condition (e.g., Down syndrome, juvenile arthritis)
- High-risk motor vehicle collision
How this is calculated
Citation
Leonard JC, Browne LR, Ahmad FA, et al. Cervical spine injury risk factors in children with blunt trauma. Pediatrics. 2019;144(1):e20183221. (Derivation: Leonard JC, Kuppermann N, Olsen C, et al. Ann Emerg Med. 2011;58(2):145-155.) Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.