The acute management of concussion is an important area of investigation and an area of clinical importance to the pediatrician. Recent studies suggest that concussions account for more than 10% of all sport-related injuries sustained by high school athletes and reveal an increase in the number children with concussions being cared for in emergency departments.1–3 At present, the mainstay of concussion management calls for both cognitive and physical rest until the acute symptoms resolve, followed by a graded return to activity.4 As noted by several medical societies, the evidence on which the recommendations for rest are based is sparse.4–6 This relative lack of evidence is due, in part, to the difficult nature of quantifying and tracking levels of physical and, particularly, cognitive activity. In this issue of Pediatrics, Thomas et al7 take this challenge head on; they should be applauded for...
The Recommendation for Rest Following Acute Concussion
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: Dr Meehan receives royalties from ABC-Clio publishing for the sale of his book, Kids, Sports, and Concussion: A Guide for Coaches and Parents, and royalties from Wolters Kluwer for working as an author for UpToDate. His research is funded, in part, by a grant from the National Football Players Association. Dr Bachur receives royalties from Wolters Kluwer for his work as editor for UpToDate and from Lippincott Williams & Wilkins publishing for his work as editor of Textbook of Pediatric Emergency Medicine. His research on biomarkers for appendicitis receives industry sponsorship from Astute Medical.
William P. Meehan, Richard G. Bachur; The Recommendation for Rest Following Acute Concussion. Pediatrics February 2015; 135 (2): 362–363. 10.1542/peds.2014-3665
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