Current controversies in the management of minor pediatric head injuries

Am J Emerg Med. 2000 Jan;18(1):96-101. doi: 10.1016/s0735-6757(00)90060-3.

Abstract

Each year hundreds of thousands of children receive care in emergency departments after head injury. Minor head injuries account for a majority of these injuries. The prevalence, morbidity, and costs associated with pediatric minor head injuries make it an important topic. We review the management of pediatric minor head injury, emphasizing current areas of controversy, including criteria for neuroimaging, indications for hospitalization, the role of anticonvulsant therapy, and the long-term neurobehavioral sequelae of pediatric minor head injury.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Algorithms
  • Cerebral Hemorrhage, Traumatic / etiology
  • Child
  • Clinical Protocols
  • Craniocerebral Trauma / complications
  • Craniocerebral Trauma / diagnosis*
  • Craniocerebral Trauma / economics
  • Craniocerebral Trauma / epidemiology
  • Craniocerebral Trauma / physiopathology
  • Craniocerebral Trauma / therapy*
  • Decision Trees
  • Emergency Treatment / methods*
  • Emergency Treatment / standards*
  • Glasgow Coma Scale
  • Hospitalization
  • Humans
  • Morbidity
  • Patient Selection
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Prevalence
  • Seizures / etiology
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • United States / epidemiology