title: Length of Recovery From Sports-Related Concussions in Pediatric Patients Treated at Concussion Clinics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We quantified the length of recovery time by week in a cohort of pediatric sports-related concussion patients treated at concussion clinics, and examined patient and injury characteristics associated with prolonged recovery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective, cohort design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven concussion clinics at a Midwest children's hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients aged 10 to 17 years with a diagnosed sports-related concussion presenting to the clinic within 30 days of injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Length of recovery by week.
  
  
  METHODS
  Unadjusted and adjusted multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to model the effect of patient and injury characteristics on length of recovery by week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median length of recovery was 17 days. Only 16.3% (299/1840) of patients recovered within one week, whereas 26.4% took longer than four weeks to recover. By 2 months postinjury, 6.7% of patients were still experiencing symptoms. Higher symptom scores at injury and initial visit were significantly associated with prolonged symptoms by week. Patients who presented to the clinic more than 2 weeks postinjury or who had 2 or more previous concussions showed increased risk for prolonged recovery. Females were at greater risk for prolonged recovery than males (odds ratio = 2.08, 95% confidence interval = 1.49-2.89). Age was not significantly associated with recovery length.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High symptom scores at injury and initial visit, time to initial clinical presentation, presence of 2 or more previous concussions, and female sex are associated with prolonged concussion recovery. Further research should aim to establish objective measures of recovery, accounting for treatment received during the recovery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The median length of recovery is 17 days among pediatric sports-related concussion patients treated at concussion clinics. Only 16.3% of patients recovered within one week, whereas 26.4% took longer than 4 weeks to recover.
authors.affiliation: Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.|The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Donald J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Coxe
authors.affiliation: Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.|Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Hongmei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio.|Concussion Clinic, Westerville Sports Medicine/Orthopedic Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Pommering
authors.affiliation: Concussion Clinic, Westerville Sports Medicine/Orthopedic Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.|The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Gary A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.|The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Jingzhen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices