title: Pediatric issues in sports concussions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sports-related concussions are receiving increasing attention in both the lay press and medical literature. While most media attention has been on high-profile collegiate or professional athletes, the vast majority of individuals participating in contact and collision sports are adolescents and children. This review provides a practical approach toward youth sports-related concussion with a foundation in the recent guidelines, but including specific considerations when applying these management principles to children and adolescents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Objective measurement of early signs and symptoms is challenging in younger patients, and many commonly used assessment tools await rigorous validation for younger patients. Excellent evidence-based guidelines exist for CT evaluation of mild traumatic brain injury presenting to the emergency department. Evidence suggests that recovery from sports-related concussion takes longer in high school athletes compared with collegiate or professionals; however, rigorous studies below high school age are still lacking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Proper care for concussion in youth requires a delicate balance of clinical skills, age-appropriate assessment, and individualized management to achieve optimal outcomes.
authors.forename: Christopher C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Giza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001265:Athletic Injuries; D001924:Brain Concussion; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D010372:Pediatrics