What is the Marshall CT classification used for in TBI?

• A. To categorize CT findings into diffuse injury grades and mass lesions to help prognosis and management.
• B. To determine prognosis based on age and mechanism of injury.
• C. To identify the exact molecular markers of brain injury.
• D. To decide whether to hospitalize or discharge based on GCS.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that the Marshall CT classification is a CT-based system used to categorize brain injury patterns on imaging into diffuse injury grades and the presence or absence of mass lesions. This standardized labeling helps clinicians predict outcomes and guide management decisions, such as the need for surgical intervention, ICU monitoring, or aggressive therapy, based on how the brain appears on CT and whether there is swelling, compressed or absent cisterns, or midline shift.

This system isn’t about prognosis from age or mechanism, nor about identifying molecular markers, nor about deciding hospitalization vs discharge purely from the Glasgow Coma Scale. Those factors may influence overall prognosis or disposition, but the Marshall classification specifically uses CT features to stratify injury and inform treatment decisions.