What Pediatricians Need to Know About the CDC Guideline on the Diagnosis and Management of mTBI

Meeryo C Choe; Andrew J Gregory; Tamara M Haegerich

doi:10.3389/fped.2018.00249

What Pediatricians Need to Know About the CDC Guideline on the Diagnosis and Management of mTBI

Front Pediatr. 2018 Sep 12:6:249. doi: 10.3389/fped.2018.00249. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Meeryo C Choe¹, Andrew J Gregory², Tamara M Haegerich³

Affiliations

¹ UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
² Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center, Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Sports Medicine Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States.
³ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Atlanta, GA, United States.

Abstract

Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a growing health concern, with over half a million TBI-related emergency department (ED) visits annually. However, this is likely an underestimate of the true incidence, with many children presenting to their pediatrician. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a guideline on the diagnosis and management of pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). We outline key points and a decision checklist for pediatricians based on this evidence-based guideline.

Keywords: concussion; concussion diagnosis; concussion management; guideline; traumatic brain injury.