Postconcussive Symptoms Following Mild TBI and Extracranial Injury: What Are the Contributing Factors?

Objectives: Whether mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) sustained by children results in persistent or recurrent symptoms, over and above those experienced by children who solely sustain mild extracranial injuries, remains debated. The current prospective longitudinal case-controlled study aimed to examine the relative influence of injury and noninjury factors on symptoms in preschool and primary school-aged children who sustained an mTBI or mild extracranial injury at least 8 month earlier.

Methods: Participants were 64 parents of children (31 mTBI, 33 trauma controls) who sustained injury between ages 2 and 12, whose postconcussive symptoms across the first 3-month postinjury have been previously described.

A systems-centred approach to reducing medication error: Should pre-hospital providers and emergency departments dose children by age during resuscitation?

The high-risk, high-stress and high-stakes environment of out-of-hospital or emergency department paediatric resuscitation is prone to human error, and medication errors are common. This could be contributing to the difference in survival rate of resuscitation in the out-of-hospital versus inpatient setting. Medication for children during resuscitation requires estimation of the child's weight and calculation of the corresponding drug dose.

Acute post-concussive symptoms in young children.

Objectives: Despite peaks of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) incidence in young children, few studies have examined the nature of post-concussive symptoms (PCSs) in children under the age of eight, whilst controlling for pre-injury symptoms and effects of trauma. The current study aimed to identify which PCSs differentiate children with mTBI from trauma controls early post-injury, and whether these differed among preschool and school-aged children.

Methods: The sample comprised 101 children aged 2-12 presenting to an emergency department, with concussion or other minor bodily injury (control).

Do Concussive Symptoms Really Resolve in Young Children?

Objectives: To examine the frequency and nature of postconcussive symptoms (PCSs) and behavioral outcomes in young children following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or concussion.

Setting: Emergency department.

Participants: Children aged 2 to 12 years presenting with either a concussion or minor bodily injury (control).