NEXUS Criteria

Clears the cervical spine without imaging in blunt trauma — all 5 criteria must be absent to safely forgo imaging.

For healthcare professionals.These calculate a score or a measurement from values you enter. They do not diagnose, and they are no substitute for clinical judgement. If you are a patient, discuss any result with your own doctor rather than acting on it.

Midline cervical spine tenderness

Altered level of consciousness

Evidence of intoxication

Focal neurologic deficit

Distracting painful injury

Result

Low Risk — No Imaging Required

No imaging required

All 5 criteria absent — cervical spine injury is sufficiently unlikely that imaging can be safely forgone (sensitivity ~99% in the original validation).

Source

Hoffman JR, Mower WR, Wolfson AB, Todd KH, Zucker MI. Validity of a set of clinical criteria to rule out injury to the cervical spine in patients with blunt trauma. N Engl J Med. 2000;343(2):94-99.

Shown for reference and checked against the source above. Confirm against current guidance before acting on it, and use your own clinical judgement.

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