PECARN
Medical abbreviation · Emergency Medicine
| Stands for | Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
PECARN stands for Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network, an emergency medicine abbreviation.
US research network for pediatric emergency care, best known for its head injury rules that identify children at very low risk of serious brain injury who can safely avoid CT scans.
Example: PECARN head rule: age 3, GCS 15, no LOC, no vomiting; CT not indicated.
Usage notes
The head injury prediction rules, published in The Lancet in 2009, used data from more than 42,000 children. Reducing unnecessary CT scans lowers children's radiation exposure. The network also studies febrile infants, abdominal trauma and other common problems.
Related abbreviations
More emergency medicine abbreviations
- OPA – Oropharyngeal airway
- PALS – Pediatric Advanced Life Support
- PASG – Pneumatic anti-shock garment
- PAT – Pediatric assessment triangle
- PCR – Patient care report
- PEARS – Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition and Stabilization
- PEM – Pediatric emergency medicine
- PERC – Pulmonary Embolism Rule-out Criteria
- PHTLS – Prehospital Trauma Life Support
- POLST – Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment
- POV – Privately owned vehicle
- PSAP – Public safety answering point
See all 97 emergency medicine abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.