CDC publishes guidelines for managing concussions in children

Just as students are returning to school – with many projects spending time on the football field – the Centers for Disease Control has released a list of recommended actions to help health professionals diagnose and heal children suffering from concussion injury (mTBI).

"More than 800,000 children are treated annually in the US Emergency Department, and so far, there is no evidence-based guideline in the United States regarding pediatric traumatic brain injury, all-cause confused. The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the CDC said in a press release announcing the extensive set of guidelines, released Tuesday in the JAMMA Pediatrics.

One of the new guidelines states that, unless the child shows signs of potentially more serious injuries – vomiting, amnesia, and severe or aggravated headaches – CT exams are not recommended because they do not make it possible to determine if a child has a concussion.

Another reason to avoid imagining needlessly is that 'higher doses of radiation attributable to this type of imagination in children have been associated in studies with an increase in cancer rates for life According to the guidelines.

The guidelines also state that "health care professionals should use a validated and age-appropriate symptom assessment scale" and not just the standardized assessment of concussion to diagnose children with the condition. acute concussions.

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While recovering from concussions, children should "observe more restrictive physical and cognitive activity in the early days," although prolonged inactivity may worsen the recovery process, as directed.

After several days of rest, children should resume a "phased program of activity that does not exacerbate symptoms", after which health professionals recommend reintroducing "contactless aerobic activity" into the routine of the treatment. child.

Then, if the child is no longer symptom-free, doctors will help determine when he or she can "go back to work."

As a rule, children can expect to stop presenting symptoms in one to three months.

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Dr. Matthew J. Breiding, the lead author of the study, also emphasized the importance for children to tell right away to their parents if they think they have been victims of concussion. .

"Some kids and teenagers think that concussions are not serious or worry that in case of a concussion, they will lose their place on the team or appear weak. Remind them it's better to miss a game than the whole season, "he told The Associated Press.

Concussions have been associated with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE – a degenerative brain disease. Symptoms include depression, short-term memory loss, impulsive behavior and confusion, and they may appear long after a football player's career. Increasing evidence suggests a link between illness and football.