title: Ambulatory or inpatient management of mild TBI in children: a post-concussion analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diagnosis and treatment of children with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) remain a challenge since initial signs and symptoms do not always indicate the severity of the trauma. Therefore, guidelines regarding the decision upon imaging methods and ambulatory or hospitalized treatment are needed. The goal of our study was to investigate if the standard that was allied from the PECARN rules and is applied in this study can ensure that patients with clinically important brain injury are recognized and leads to outcomes with a low complication rate, a high patient satisfaction and minimal post-concussion syndrome incidence.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 478 children with mTBI and contacted their families with a questionnaire. Out of these, 267 valid questionnaires were received. Patient records and questionnaires were analyzed yielding a number of 140 ambulatory and 127 hospitalized patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with mild TBI were admitted according to the above-mentioned guidelines or sent home for observation through their parents after thorough patient examination and information. Among ambulatory patients only 13 children (9%) underwent any imaging procedure; however, none of those showed any pathological findings. Next, in 41 of 127 hospitalized patients (32.2%) an imaging study was performed and of these only 3 according to 2.4% of hospitalized patients showed pathological findings, namely a skull fracture, two of them in combination with an intracranial hemorrhage. The duration of inpatient observation was 48 h in most cases (55.3%). Moreover, a majority of all patients (72.4%) did not seek any follow-up visit and did not need any further treatment. Of all patients in the study, only 10 patients according to 3.7% developed a post-concussion syndrome. Patient satisfaction was very high in both, the ambulatory and hospitalized patient group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms that PECARN rules as administered in this study can ensure safe decision-making regarding ambulatory or inpatient treatment.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Surgery, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Lindwurmstr. 4, 80337, Munich, Germany. Danielle.Wendling@med.uni-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: Danielle S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Wendling-Keim
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Surgery, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Lindwurmstr. 4, 80337, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: König
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Surgery, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Lindwurmstr. 4, 80337, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Georg
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Surgery, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Lindwurmstr. 4, 80337, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lehner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000379:methods*; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D038223:Post-Concussion Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Concussion; Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI); Questionnaire