Physical complaints, medical service use, and social and employment changes following mild traumatic brain injury: a 6-month longitudinal study.
Using a prospective, dual-cohort study design in which selected preinjury factors were controlled, we present outcomes of 235 patients in a case cohort and 235 patients in a comparison cohort following emergency-department-diagnosed mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). Symptoms, medical services use, and social and employment concerns were evaluated 6 months after the injury. After adjusting for preinjury characteristics, headaches, dizziness, vision difficulties, memory or learning problems, and alcohol intolerance were found to occur significantly more often in the MTBI cohort than in the comparison cohort. Problems sleeping, use of prescribed medications, and changes in employment were less likely in the MTBI cohort. Although MTBI is not life threatening, our findings suggest that 6 months after injury persons still have related health problems that require routine medical management.
Kraus
Jess
J
Department of Epidemiology, Southern California Injury Prevention Research Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA. jfkraus@ucla.edu
Schaffer
Kathryn
K
Ayers
Kathi
K
Stenehjem
Jerome
J
Shen
Haikang
H
Afifi
A A
AA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000009:adverse effects; D003376:Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004244:Dizziness / Q000453:epidemiology; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol