emergency room

The number of emergency department (ED) visits for sports-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) has risen over the past ten years, but the percentage of admissions has remained unchanged at about 10%, reports a new study. The study also reported a welcome trend towards admitting children with less severe TBI, which experts say may reflect a more cautious approach to management of brain injuries involving greater emphasis on in-patient observation to watch for signs of a serious brain injury, less routine use of CT and MRI scans, and less reliance on parents to observe their children for such signs at home in borderline cases.  

The number of sport-related concussions is highest in high-school aged athletes, but the number among younger athletes is significant and on the rise, according to a first-of-its-kind study reported in the journal Pediatrics.  The number of concussions among athletes ages 7 to 13 in the top five team sports (football, basketball, baseball, soccer and ice hockey) doubled over a four year period, and the concussion rates among those playing ice hockey and football are eight- to ten-times higher than the overall  rate.