If someone you know had a concussion from playing sports or hitting their head, would you take it as seriously as if they had suffered a mild traumatic brain injury? Findings of a recent study suggest that doctors treat concussions with less concern than mild traumatic brain injuries, although both terms indicate the same condition,WebMD reported.
Scientists at McMaster University conducted a study to determine the difference in doctors’ perceptions and treatments of concussions vs. mild traumatic brain injuries. WebMDreported that the findings “say doctors consider traumatic brain injury and concussion as two separate diagnostic categories, when in truth, both reflect brain injury.”
Doctors analyzed medical records of over 400 children who had been hospitalized in Canada for acquired brain injury. They found that the children who received the diagnosis of concussion were consistently discharged from the hospital earlier than those diagnosed with brain injuries. The concussion group of children also returned to school earlier on average than the brain injury group. WebMD reported that 32 percent of the 341 traumatic brain injury medical records in the study indicated “concussion.”
A researcher of the study, Carol A. DeMatteo, MSC, said in a news release, “Our study suggests that if a child is given a diagnosis of a concussion, the family is less likely to consider it an actual injury to the brain,” She added that students who return to school and other activities too early after concussion run the risk of further brain injury, confusion, and a decline in academic performance. The researchers suggested that concussions be referred to as mild traumatic brain injuries to help elicit a more serious response from doctors and parents.
The researchers also said that the guidelines for diagnosing concussions are confusing and misleading. “There are currently at least eight difference scales for concussion, with no universal agreement on the definition or grades of concussion,” WebMD reported. The symptoms diagnosed as concussion can range from a momentary loss of consciousness to a possibly fatal coma. The scientists say this is not scientific or accurate enough to elicit proper treatments for serious brain injuries.
As awareness about the seriousness of concussions increases, the term may soon fall into disuse in favor of the more descriptive term, “mild traumatic brain injury.” Hopefully, this will ensure that children who suffer head injuries will receive the best and most comprehensive treatment available.
References:
Hendrick, Bill. (January 19, 2010) “Concussions Not Taken Seriously.” Retrieved on January 25, 2010 from the WebMD Web site:http://children.webmd.com/news/20100119/concussions-not-taken-seriously
If someone you know had a concussion from playing sports or hitting their head, would you take it as seriously as if they had suffered a mild traumatic brain injury? Findings of a recent study suggest that doctors treat concussions with less concern than mild traumatic brain injuries, although both terms indicate the same condition,WebMD reported.
Scientists at McMaster University conducted a study to determine the difference in doctors’ perceptions and treatments of concussions vs. mild traumatic brain injuries. WebMDreported that the findings ‘say doctors consider traumatic brain injury and concussion as two separate diagnostic categories, when in truth, both reflect brain injury.’
Doctors analyzed medical records of over 400 children who had been hospitalized in Canada for acquired brain injury. They found that the children who received the diagnosis of concussion were consistently discharged from the hospital earlier than those diagnosed with brain injuries. The concussion group of children also returned to school earlier on average than the brain injury group. WebMD reported that 32 percent of the 341 traumatic brain injury medical records in the study indicated ‘concussion.’
A researcher of the study, Carol A. DeMatteo, MSC, said in a news release, ‘Our study suggests that if a child is given a diagnosis of a concussion, the family is less likely to consider it an actual injury to the brain,’ She added that students who return to school and other activities too early after concussion run the risk of further brain injury, confusion, and a decline in academic performance. The researchers suggested that concussions be referred to as mild traumatic brain injuries to help elicit a more serious response from doctors and parents.
The researchers also said that the guidelines for diagnosing concussions are confusing and misleading. ‘There are currently at least eight difference scales for concussion, with no universal agreement on the definition or grades of concussion,’ WebMD reported. The symptoms diagnosed as concussion can range from a momentary loss of consciousness to a possibly fatal coma. The scientists say this is not scientific or accurate enough to elicit proper treatments for serious brain injuries.
As awareness about the seriousness of concussions increases, the term may soon fall into disuse in favor of the more descriptive term, ‘mild traumatic brain injury.’ Hopefully, this will ensure that children who suffer head injuries will receive the best and most comprehensive treatment available.
References:
Hendrick, Bill. (January 19, 2010) ‘Concussions Not Taken Seriously.’ Retrieved on January 25, 2010 from the WebMD Web site:http://children.webmd.com/news/20100119/concussions-not-taken-seriously