Elsevier

Journal of Pediatric Health Care

Volume 27, Issue 6, November–December 2013, Pages 499-504
Journal of Pediatric Health Care

Department
Case Study—Primary Care
Management of Concussion in the Pediatric Patient

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2012.12.014Get rights and content

Section snippets

Case Presentation

A 14-year-old boy presented to the clinic and reported a 3-day history of a frontal headache. The headache began immediately after he was hit in the head twice while playing hockey. The patient claimed he did not lose consciousness and remained on his feet. Although he experienced no amnesia, he reported that his mind has felt “fuzzy” since the event. The headache has been occurring off and on for the past 3 days and can be relieved with ibuprofen. Associated symptoms include fatigue and

Discussion

A significant amount of research has been conducted recently on the diagnosis and management of concussion. A position statement was published by McCrory and colleagues (2009) after the Third International Conference on Concussion in Sport (CIS) was held in 2008; however, the statement did not specifically address pediatric patients (Halstead & Walter, 2010; McCrory et al., 2009). The American Academy of Pediatrics published a report in 2010 that outlined the most recent knowledge on pediatric

Conclusion

…educating the child and family of the importance of adhering to the RTP protocol and cognitive rest is essential to positive outcomes after a concussion is sustained.

An mTBI in a pediatric patient is a complex health issue with serious acute and long-term consequences. Understanding the value of appropriate diagnosis, evaluation, and management of concussion in children is a must for PNPs. Above all, educating the child and family of the importance of adhering to the RTP protocol and cognitive

Alycia M. Marsh, Nurse Practitioner, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

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  • M.E. Halstead et al.

    Sport-related concussion in children and adolescents

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  • V. Jotwani et al.

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There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (6)

  • Admission of Pediatric Concussion Injury Patients: Is it Necessary?

    2019, Journal of Surgical Research
    Citation Excerpt :

    One potential reason for unnecessary admissions is that providers have either a lack of comfort or understanding of the pathophysiology of mTBI. Multiple studies have demonstrated a poor understanding of the physiology, treatment, and outcomes for concussion patients.9-11 They concluded that lack of education manifests in low adherence to published guidelines and larger number of unnecessary diagnostic studies.12

  • Sports-related concussions in youths

    2015, Archives de Pediatrie

Alycia M. Marsh, Nurse Practitioner, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Debbie Fraser, Associate Professor, Director, Nurse Practitioner Program, Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University, Athabasca, Alberta, Canada.

Jonathan P. Marsh, Orthopedic Surgery Resident, Section of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Conflicts of interest: None to report.

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