For patients presenting with concussion, what is the evidence for management in the emergency department, home care, and follow-up?

Concussion and mild traumatic brain injury.  In: DynaMed.

The Guidelines section includes guidelines and their accompanying references to primary literature…

Evaluation and Management of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma
This is a recent (within past 2 years) guideline that summarizes evidence on practices for diagnostic workup, home care (eg, return to work and driving), and management of special populations, such as patients on warfarin.

American College of Emergency Physicians. Clinical Policy: Neuroimaging and Decisionmaking in Adult Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in the Acute Setting.
This is an older but still relevant guideline (2008) that presents evidence to answers the questions of when to order a non-contrast head CT; what is the role for head MRI in the ED, are there serum biormarkers.

Care of the patient with mild traumatic brain injury. Glenview (IL): American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, Association of Rehabilitation Nurses
Summarizes evidence of management of patients with mild traumatic brain injury

PubMed

A search of Clinical Queries provides systematic reviews that may provide more recent appraisal of evidence.   These searches identify evidence on treatment and follow-up provided by the emergency department.  References to individual studies are in the left column; this list can be modified by changing the study category and scope.  References to systematic reviews are in the center column.

Clinical Queries:  concussion AND emergency department

Clinical Queries:  concussion AND (post-concussion syndrome OR self care OR monitoring)

 

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