Recovery from concussion

Abstract

The professional and lay media have been filled with discussions about concussion, especially among young and adult athletes. The practitioner may have difficulty keeping track of all these new developments and understanding the important points that should become incorporated into practice. This issue of The Journal contains an interesting and important article that certainly will inform practice. Corwin et al from Philadelphia studied a cohort of children in their institution with concussion, asking the question whether there were ways in which the children who had a prolonged recovery (over 4 weeks of symptoms) could be recognized early. These children had fairly significant disability, and recognizing them early in their course could be very helpful in working with children, their families, and schools. Corwin et al present a number of simple historical and physical examination findings, which, when present at the time of initial evaluation, identify children at risk for prolonged symptoms. This is not a battery of high-tech diagnostic interventions, but some easily identifiable markers that can quickly become incorporated into practice. Article page 1207▶ Characteristics of Prolonged Concussion Recovery in a Pediatric Subspecialty Referral PopulationThe Journal of PediatricsVol. 165Issue 6PreviewTo identify pre-existing characteristics associated with prolonged recovery from concussion in a sample of patients referred to a pediatric sports medicine clinic. Full-Text PDF