Information About Concussion for Healthcare Providers
A significant amount of scientific literature is available to assist healthcare providers in the evaluation and management of individuals who have sustained concussions and other types of mild head injuries. The following links and references are but a few of the available resources relevant to caring for the pediatric patient after such injury:
- The management of minor closed head injury in children. Committee on Quality Improvement, American Academy of Pediatrics. Commission on Clinical Policies and Research, American Academy of Family Physicians. Pediatrics. Dec 1999; 104(6): 1407-1415.
- Practice guideline from the American Academy of Pediatrics for medically managing pediatric minor head injury. Read full text article.
- Kirkwood MW, Yeates KO, Wilson PE. Pediatric sport-related concussion: a review of the clinical management of an oft-neglected population. Pediatrics. Apr 2006; 117(4): 1359-1371.
- Article for the primary healthcare provider focused on the management of pediatric sport-related concussion specifically. Authors include two members of The Children's Hospital Concussion Program. Read full text article.
- McCrory P, Johnston K, Meeuwisse W, Aubry M, Cantu R, Dvorak J, Graf-Baumann T, Kelly J, Lovell M, Schamasch P. Summary and Agreement Statement of the 2nd International Conference on Concussion in Sport, Prague 2004. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2005; 39: 196-204.
- Consensus statement from a group of international experts focused on sport-related concussion. The group was convened at a 2004 conference in Prague. Read full text article.
- World Health Organization Collaborating Centre Task Force on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. Feb 2004; (43 Suppl).
- Informative series of review articles covering topics such as mild TBI incidence, diagnostic procedures, prognosis, and intervention.
- Yeates KO, Taylor HG. Neurobehavioural outcomes of mild head injury in children and adolescents. Pediatric Rehabilitation. Jan-Mar 2005; 8(1): 5-16.
- Review article discussing recent neurobehavioral outcome research for pediatric mild head injury.
Research suggests that the most effective way to reduce postconcussive problems is to have healthcare personnel provide appropriate education, advice, and reassurance relatively soon after injury. Thus, following pediatric concussion, all healthcare personnel should take steps to ensure that youth, parents, school personnel, and athletic staff understand what a concussion is, what should generally be expected post-injury, and how to handle any concerns or problems that arise. Relevant information for this purpose is contained within the other content areas of this website, including documents that can be printed and freely distributed as clinical educational handouts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published several documents that could be useful in clinical care as well, including:
