Skip to main content

Advertising Disclaimer »

Main menu

  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • Authors
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Guidelines
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Complete Issue PDF
    • Archive
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Blog
  • Multimedia
    • Teaching Slides
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • CME/MOC
    • CME Quizzes
    • MOC Claiming
  • Subscribe
  • Alerts
  • Careers
  • Other Publications
    • American Academy of Pediatrics

User menu

  • Log in

Search

  • Advanced search
American Academy of Pediatrics

AAP Gateway

Advanced Search

AAP Logo

  • Log in
  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • Authors
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Guidelines
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Complete Issue PDF
    • Archive
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Blog
  • Multimedia
    • Teaching Slides
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • CME/MOC
    • CME Quizzes
    • MOC Claiming
  • Subscribe
  • Alerts
  • Careers
American Academy of Pediatrics
Article

Pediatric Head Trauma: A Review and Update

Rose N. Gelineau-Morel, Timothy P. Zinkus and Jean-Baptiste Le Pichon
Pediatrics in Review September 2019, 40 (9) 468-481; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.2018-0257
Rose N. Gelineau-Morel
*Division of Neurology and
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Timothy P. Zinkus
†Division of Radiology, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Jean-Baptiste Le Pichon
*Division of Neurology and
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Supplemental
  • Info & Metrics
  • Comments
  • Quiz
Loading

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Download PDF
  1. Rose N. Gelineau-Morel, MD*
  2. Timothy P. Zinkus, MD†
  3. Jean-Baptiste Le Pichon, MD, PhD*
  1. *Division of Neurology and
  2. †Division of Radiology, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO
  • AUTHOR DISCLOSURE

    Drs Gelineau-Morel and Zinkus have disclosed no financial relationships relevant to this article. Dr Le Pichon has disclosed that he has served as a consultant for an AADC Deficiency Advisors Forum and as a medical legal expert and that he currently serves as the chair of the Subcommittee on Education for the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Neurology Committee. This commentary does not contain a discussion of an unapproved/investigative use of a commercial product/device.

  • Abbreviations:
    AAP:
    American Academy of Pediatrics
    AHT :
    abusive head trauma
    CDC:
    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
    Child SCAT5:
    Child Sport Concussion Assessment Tool
    CISG:
    Concussion in Sport Group
    CT:
    computed tomography
    DAI:
    diffuse axonal injury
    FLAIR:
    fluid-attenuated inversion recovery
    GCS:
    Glasgow Coma Scale
    MRI:
    magnetic resonance imaging
    mTBI:
    mild traumatic brain injury
    TBI:
    traumatic brain injury
  • Practice Gaps

    There is still a considerable amount of confusion when it comes to managing concussions. An excessive number of head computed tomographic scans are being obtained for concussions, resulting in unnecessary exposure to ionizing radiation. Clinicians should be aware of the most recent guidelines for the management of concussion, including the need for imaging, and should be able to differentiate mild from moderate and severe traumatic brain injury.

    Objectives

    After completing this article, readers should be able to:

    1. Differentiate a mild from a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

    2. Acutely manage a child with a TBI, including deciding when further imaging is necessary.

    3. Manage a child with a postconcussion syndrome and identify when referral to a specialist is necessary.

    Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death or severe disability in children older than 1 year. (1)(2) In a report to Congress published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2018, (3) the CDC reported the public health burden of TBIs. They noted that 640,000 emergency department visits and 18,000 hospital stays were directly related to TBI. The etiology of TBI varies among age groups. In the 0- to 4-year-old age group, the most common cause of TBI is falls. On the other hand, in the 15- to 24-year-old age group the distribution of injuries caused by …

    Individual Login

    Log in
    You will be redirected to aap.org to login or to create your account.

    Institutional Login

    via Institution

    You may be able to gain access using your login credentials for your institution. Contact your librarian or administrator if you do not have a username and password.

    Log in through your institution

    If your organization uses OpenAthens, you can log in using your OpenAthens username and password. To check if your institution is supported, please see this list. Contact your library for more details.

    Pay Per Article - You may access this article (from the computer you are currently using) for 2 days for US$25.00

    Regain Access - You can regain access to a recent Pay per Article purchase if your access period has not yet expired.

    Offer Reprints

    PreviousNext
    Back to top

    Advertising Disclaimer »

    In this issue

    Pediatrics in Review: 40 (9)
    Pediatrics in Review
    Vol. 40, Issue 9
    1 Sep 2019
    • Table of Contents
    • Table of Contents (PDF)
    • About the Cover
    • Index by author
    • Complete Issue (PDF)
    View this article with LENS
    PreviousNext
    Email Article

    Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Academy of Pediatrics.

    NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

    Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
    Pediatric Head Trauma: A Review and Update
    (Your Name) has sent you a message from American Academy of Pediatrics
    (Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Academy of Pediatrics web site.
    CAPTCHA
    This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
    Request Permissions
    Article Alerts
    Log in
    You will be redirected to aap.org to login or to create your account.
    Or Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
    Citation Tools
    Pediatric Head Trauma: A Review and Update
    Rose N. Gelineau-Morel, Timothy P. Zinkus, Jean-Baptiste Le Pichon
    Pediatrics in Review Sep 2019, 40 (9) 468-481; DOI: 10.1542/pir.2018-0257

    Citation Manager Formats

    • BibTeX
    • Bookends
    • EasyBib
    • EndNote (tagged)
    • EndNote 8 (xml)
    • Medlars
    • Mendeley
    • Papers
    • RefWorks Tagged
    • Ref Manager
    • RIS
    • Zotero
    Quiz
    Share
    Pediatric Head Trauma: A Review and Update
    Rose N. Gelineau-Morel, Timothy P. Zinkus, Jean-Baptiste Le Pichon
    Pediatrics in Review Sep 2019, 40 (9) 468-481; DOI: 10.1542/pir.2018-0257
    del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
    Print
    Download PDF
    Insight Alerts
    • Table of Contents

    Jump to section

    • Article
      • Practice Gaps
      • Objectives
      • Mild TBI
      • Moderate and Severe TBI
      • Conclusion
      • References
    • Figures & Data
    • Supplemental
    • Info & Metrics
    • Comments
    • Quiz

    Related Articles

    • PubMed
    • Google Scholar

    Cited By...

    • No citing articles found.
    • Google Scholar

    More in this TOC Section

    • Review of Scabies Infestation and Selected Common Cutaneous Infections
    • Pediatric Ingestions: New High-Risk Household Hazards
    • Iron Deficiency: Implications Before Anemia
    Show more Articles

    Similar Articles

    Subjects

    • Head and Neck Injuries
      • Traumatic Brain Injury
      • Head and Neck Injuries
    • Emergency Medicine
      • Emergency Medicine
      • Trauma
    • Sports Medicine/Physical Fitness
      • Sports Medicine/Physical Fitness
      • Concussion
    • Journal Info
    • Editorial Board
    • ABP Content Specifications Map
    • Overview
    • Licensing Information
    • Authors
    • Author Guidelines
    • Submit My Manuscript
    • Librarians
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Usage Stats
    • Support
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
    • Resources
    • Media Kit
    • About
    • International Access
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Statement
    • FAQ
    • AAP.org
    • shopAAP
    • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Instagram
    • Visit American Academy of Pediatrics on Facebook
    • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Twitter
    • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Youtube
    American Academy of Pediatrics

    © 2021 American Academy of Pediatrics