

In another post, we discussed the Canadian C-Spine rules used to rule out fractures of the cervical spine that would demand radiographic imagery. The Nexus criteria are another tool for the same purpose of reducing the need for radiographs after blunt trauma to the head.
In a review by Michaleff et al. (2012), the reported sensitivity ranges from 83-100% and specificity from 2-46%.
If any of the following NEXUS criteria are present, imaging is recommended:
An easy mnemonic to remember the rule is NSAID.
Another common screening tool for cervical fractures are the Canadian C-Spine Rules. If you want to screen for fractures in other body parts, check out the list below: