A quick eye ultrasound might spot dangerous brain swelling in kids without a CT scan

NCT ID NCT07780279

Not yet recruiting Diagnosis Sponsor: Assiut University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Registered, but not yet taking participants.

First seen Aug 21, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether a simple, bedside ultrasound measuring the optic nerve sheath diameter can accurately detect raised intracranial pressure in children aged 6-12 who have experienced a traumatic brain injury. The ultrasound results will be compared with brain CT findings, which are the current standard for indirect pressure assessment. If the ultrasound proves reliable, it could offer a faster, safer, and more accessible way to monitor these young patients, especially in emergency settings.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Bedside optic nerve sheath diameter ultrasonography (a non-invasive ultrasound measurement of the optic nerve sheath)
What this could lead to: If proven accurate, this quick, radiation-free bedside test could help doctors spot dangerously high brain pressure in children with head injuries faster and more safely, especially in emergency and intensive care settings.
What could go wrong: This is a single-center study with 100 children, and it compares ultrasound against CT findings, not the gold-standard invasive pressure monitors. The technique's accuracy may vary with operator skill and may not replace CT in all cases.

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Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

About 100 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Oct 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Dec 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

Patients with traumatic brain injury of any severity

Ages

6 to 12 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * 1\. Children aged 6-12 years. 2. Patients presenting within 24 hours of traumatic brain injury. 3. Patients undergoing brain CT based on emergency department and neurosurgical assessment. 4\. Patients with traumatic brain injury of any severity, as assessed by the Paediatric Glasgow Coma Scale (PGCS). 5\. Haemodynamically stable patients who can undergo ocular ultrasonography. Exclusion Criteria: * 1\. Orbital fractures, globe rupture, extensive periorbital oedema preventing right ONSD measurement. 2\. Earlier intracranial surgery or ventriculoperitoneal shunt. 3. Known congenital or got neurological disorders associated with altered intracranial pressure (e.g., hydrocephalus or intracranial tumours). 4\. Patients transferred after receiving osmotherapy before the initial ONSD measurement.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Brain Injuries, Traumatic traumatic brain injury

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.