Mild traumatic brain injury in children: just another bump on the head?
Mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is frequently encountered in pediatrics and challenges healthcare practitioners to provide safe, consistent, cost-effective care. Clinical management of children who sustain MTBI poses dilemmas for healthcare practitioners. This article will provide an overview of pediatric MTBI including definition, issues impacting diagnosis and management, risk factors for intracranial injury, indications for diagnostic imaging, disposition, and return to sports/activity. Knowledge and understanding of MTBI in children aid healthcare practitioners to make informed competent recommendations for care. Clinicians must have a thorough understanding and working knowledge of pediatric MTBI to aid clinical decisions and optimize patient outcomes.
Cook
Rebecca S
RS
Division of Pediatric and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue ML 3019, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA. becky.cook@ccbmc.org
Schweer
Lynn
L
Shebesta
Kaaren Fanta
KF
Hartjes
Karen
K
Falcone
Richard A
RA
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000359:Aftercare; D000465:Algorithms; D001484:Baseball / Q000293:injuries; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D003663:Decision Trees; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D009820:Ohio; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D018579:Patient Selection; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D013177:Sports; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014194:Traumatology / Q000458:organization & administration