Recent studies have provided updated guidelines for the diagnosis of head injury and the management of patients who experience concussions. A multidisciplinary panel has recently issued new guidelines for return to play after head injury.
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Pediatric head injury is extremely common. Although the vast majority of children with head trauma have minor injuries, a small number, even among well-appearing children, will have more serious injuries with the potential for deterioration and significant sequelae. The clinician is challenged to discern which few among the many injured are at high risk for intracranial complications. Clinical symptoms are neither completely sensitive nor specific for significant injury: vomiting may be associated with intracranial injury (ICI), but most children who experience vomiting do not have a complication. Computed tomography (CT) accurately identifies ICIs requiring intervention, but also identifies minor lesions with unclear clinical importance (ie, not...
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