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Chapter 7 - Early Phase Care of Patients with Mild and Minor Head Injury

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2020

By
Anthony Kehoe
Edited by
Peter C. Whitfield ,
Jessie Welbourne ,
Elfyn Thomas ,
Fiona Summers ,
Maggie Whyte  and
Peter J. Hutchinson
Peter C. Whitfield
Affiliation:
Derriford Hospital, Plymouth
Jessie Welbourne
Affiliation:
University Hospitals, Plymouth
Elfyn Thomas
Affiliation:
Derriford Hospital, Plymouth
Fiona Summers
Affiliation:
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
Maggie Whyte
Affiliation:
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
Peter J. Hutchinson
Affiliation:
Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge
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Summary

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a common presentation to the Emergency Department (ED). In most cases patients can be assessed and discharged the same day with reassurance that within a short period any residual symptoms will resolve. However, for a sizeable minority of patients diagnosed with mTBI, the term can seem a cruel misnomer. Many will suffer with a constellation of debilitating symptoms including fatigue, irritability, lability of mood, inability to concentrate, headache, dizziness, sensitivity to noise and light, depression and anxiety.1 Although in most, these symptoms will subside within 3 months; in up to 30% of patients with mTBI, they can persist well beyond 6 months.2 The consequences for quality of life, relationships and employment can be devastating.

Type
Chapter
Information
Traumatic Brain Injury
A Multidisciplinary Approach
 , pp. 65 - 75
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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