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One Quarter of Children with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Suffer Post-Concussion Symptoms
By:
Deutschmann Personal Injury & Disability Law (Lawyers)
| Published 05/02/2022
Concussion or mild traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of emergency room visits for children worldwide and in Canada. Although the injury may be termed ‘mild’ or concussion, many children go on to suffer post-concussive symptoms.
A recent Israeli study has found bad news. A large study published in Nature – Scientific Reports has found that 25% of all children who have been admitted to emergency rooms with a concussion of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) have gone on to suffer post-concussion syndromes for 6 months to 5 years after admission. The average length of time for symptoms to continue was almost 3 years.
Previously the estimates of children developing post-concussion diagnosis were 2-33%, and the studies were mostly short-term follow-ups.
You can read the entire study here or the abstract below.
If you suspect your child has sustained a concussion or has sustained a blow to the head you should seek medical care immediately. If your child suffers a concussion or mTBI please be sure to monitor them carefully and over time following all medical guidance.
If your child is injured in a car accident or any other accident due to negligence contact one of our experienced personal injury lawyers today at Deutschmann Personal Injury and Disability Law today for a free initial consultation. You may be entitled to compensation for injuries, treatment and other benefits.
Persistent post-concussive syndrome in children after mild traumatic brain injury is prevalent and vastly underdiagnosed
Scientific Reports volume 12, Article number: 4364 (2022)
Abstract
Data on epidemiology and prognosticators of persistent post-concussion syndrome (PPCS) after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in the pediatric population is scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of PPCS in children after mTBI and to identify clinical variables in children who are at high risk for developing PPCS. A multicenter, retrospective matched cohort in which PPCS symptoms were evaluated in children 8–15-year-old, 6–60 months after being admitted to the emergency department because of mTBI. The control group included children admitted to the emergency department because of uncomplicated distal radius fractures. The children's guardians were interviewed for the presence of PPCS symptoms using the "Rivermead Post-Concussion Questionnaire". A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify predictors of PPCS. Two-hundred and five children were included in the mTBI group and 205 in the control. The median time from the injury was 33.5 months in the mTBI group and 33.8 in the control. The prevalence of PPCS in the mTBI group was 25.3% and PPCS like symptoms in the control was 2.4%, p < 0.001. Within the 6–60 months period, the PPCS prevalence was not influenced by the time that elapsed from the injury. In the mTBI group, motor vehicle accidents and adolescence were found to be risk factors for PPCS. PPCS is underdiagnosed in the pediatric population and 25% of children admitted to the ED due to mTBI may suffer from PPCS. Screening guidelines should be implemented to identify and properly treat these children.
