Between the growing numbers of children and adolescents playing sports and the increased attention to head injuries by the larger sports community and the general public, pediatric concussions are emerging as a major concern. And as practitioners are seeing more young clients with head injuries, questions arise about age-appropriate assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and return to activity. Pediatric and Adolescent Concussion: Diagnosis, Management, and Outcomes offers evidence-based guidelines where few previously existed. This comprehensive volume clearly explains the effects of traumatic injury on the developing brain in sports- and non-sports-related contexts, and establishes a framework for immediate and long-term management, especially the crucial first 24 hours. Chapters provide a basic grounding in its subject with a history of concussion as a medical entity and a review of definitional and classification issues, take the reader through the steps of a neuropsychological evaluation, pinpoint post-injury issues, and offer strategies for the prevention of further or future injury. Pediatric and Adolescent Concussion: Diagnosis, Management, and Outcomes serves as both educational resource and practical framework for a wide array of professionals, including neuropsychologists, sports medicine physicians, child psychologists and psychiatrists, pediatric and family physicians, athletic trainers, social workers, and educators.

In the past decade, few subjects at the intersection of medicine and sports have generated as much public interest as sports-related concussions - especially among youth. Despite growing awareness of sports-related concussions and campaigns to educate athletes, coaches, physicians, and parents of young athletes about concussion recognition and management, confusion and controversy persist in many areas. Currently, diagnosis is based primarily on the symptoms reported by the individual rather than on objective diagnostic markers, and there is little empirical evidence for the optimal degree and duration of physical rest needed to promote recovery or the best timing and approach for returning to full physical activity. Sports-Related Concussions in Youth: Improving the Science, Changing the Culture reviews the science of sports-related concussions in youth from elementary school through young adulthood, as well as in military personnel and their dependents. This report recommends actions that can be taken by a range of audiences - including research funding agencies, legislatures, state and school superintendents and athletic directors, military organizations, and equipment manufacturers, as well as youth who participate in sports and their parents - to improve what is known about concussions and to reduce their occurrence. Sports-Related Concussions in Youth finds that while some studies provide useful information, much remains unknown about the extent of concussions in youth; how to diagnose, manage, and prevent concussions; and the short- and long-term consequences of concussions as well as repetitive head impacts that do not result in concussion symptoms. The culture of sports negatively influences athletes' self-reporting of concussion symptoms and their adherence to return-to-play guidance. Athletes, their teammates, and, in some cases, coaches and parents may not fully appreciate the health threats posed by concussions. Similarly, military recruits are immersed in a culture that includes devotion to duty and service before self, and the critical nature of concussions may often go unheeded. According to Sports-Related Concussions in Youth, if the youth sports community can adopt the belief that concussions are serious injuries and emphasize care for players with concussions until they are fully recovered, then the culture in which these athletes perform and compete will become much safer. Improving understanding of the extent, causes, effects, and prevention of sports-related concussions is vitally important for the health and well-being of youth athletes. The findings and recommendations in this report set a direction for research to reach this goal.

Cases in Pediatric Acute Care presents over 100 real-world pediatric acute care cases, each including a brief patient history, a detailed history of present illness, presenting signs and symptoms, vital signs, and physical examination findings. Ideal for developing a systematic approach to diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment, this resource provides students and advanced practitioners with the tools required to deliver comprehensive care to acute, chronic and critically ill children. The cases encompass a wide range of body systems, medical scenarios, professional issues and general pediatric concerns, and feature laboratory data, radiographic images and information on case study progression and resolution. Develops the essential skills necessary to provide the best possible pediatric acute care Discusses the most appropriate differential diagnoses, diagnostic evaluation, and management plans for each case Presents cases related to pulmonary, cardiac, neurologic, endocrine, metabolic, musculoskeletal, and other body systems Highlights key points in each case to quickly identify critical information Cases in Pediatric Acute Care is an excellent resource for advanced practice provider students and pediatric healthcare providers managing acutely ill children.

A physician with thirty-five years of experience treating people with brain injuries shares the latest research on concussions and best practices for care. The explosion of attention to sports concussions has many of us thinking about the addled brains of our football and hockey heroes. But concussions happen to everyone, not just elite athletes. Children fall from high chairs, drivers and cyclists get into accidents, and workers encounter unexpected obstacles on the job. Concussions are prevalent, occurring even during everyday activities. In fact, in less time than it takes to read this sentence, three Americans will experience a concussion. The global statistics are no less staggering. Shaken Brain offers expert advice and urgently needed answers. Elizabeth Sandel, MD, is a board-certified physician who has spent more than three decades treating patients with traumatic brain injuries, training clinicians, and conducting research. Here she explains the scientific evidence for what happens to the brain and body after a concussion. And she shares stories from a diverse group of patients, educating readers on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Few people understand that what they do in the aftermath of their injury will make a dramatic difference to their future well-being; patient experiences testify to the best practices for concussion sufferers and their caregivers. Dr. Sandel also shows how to evaluate risks before participating in activities and how to use proven safety strategies to mitigate these risks. Today concussions aren’t just injuries—they’re big news. And, like anything in the news, they’re the subject of much misinformation. Shaken Brain is the resource patients and their families, friends, and caregivers need to understand how concussions occur, what to expect from healthcare providers, and what the long-term consequences may be.

Providing a state-of-the-art account of the nature, distribution and determinants of sports injury in children and adolescents, this unique volume uses the public health model to describe the scope of the injury problem and the associated risk factors and evaluate the current research on injury prevention strategies as described in the literature. Thoughtfully divided in six sections, the nature of the young athlete and epidemiology of pediatric and adolescent sports injury are described first. Then an overview of the most common types of youth sports injuries as well as more serious injuries (e.g., concussions) and outcomes is presented, followed by a discussion of injury causation and prevention. Suggestions for future research rounds out the presentation. Each chapter is illustrated with tables which make it easy to examine injury factors between studies. Throughout, the editors and contributors have taken an evidence-based approach and adopted a uniform methodology to assess the data available. Ideal for physicians, physical therapists, athletic trainers and sports scientists alike, Injury in Pediatric and Adolescent Sports concisely and accurately presents the situation faced by clinicians treating young athletes and the challenges they face in keeping up with this growing and active population. Furthermore, the information in this book will be useful to allied health researchers and sport governing bodies as an informed basis for continued epidemiological study and implementation of injury prevention initiatives designed to reduce the incidence and severity of injuries encountered by young athletes.

A cutting-edge synthesis of science and practice, this book covers everything from sports-related concussions to less common types of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and related complications. Preeminent authorities review what is known about mTBI in childhood and adolescence—including its biomechanics, pathophysiology, and neurological and neurobehavioral outcomes—and showcase evidence-based clinical evaluation tools and management strategies. Challenging areas such as evaluating complicated mTBI and treating persistent problems after injury are discussed in detail. Also addressed are forensic issues, injury in very early childhood, and other special-interest topics.

From America's preeminent expert on the head trauma crisis in sports, a timely, provocative, essential guide to concussions in youth sports--what they are, how to treat them, and how to protect our young athletes.

xxxThis updated third edition is a detailed reference for nurses and other health care providers who care for children with neurosurgical conditions. The explanations of pathophysiology, anatomy, neurodiagnostic imaging, and treatment options for each neurosurgical diagnosis will help to clarify the rationale behind the nursing care. Descriptions of presenting symptoms, history and findings on neurological examination will help nurses understand the neurological disorder and identify problems. New chapters have been added on skull and scalp anomalies, pediatric concussion, abuse head trauma and on neuroimaging. Each chapter includes case studies, impact on families, patient and family education, and practice pearls. Staff and student nurses working in clinics, critical care units, pediatric units, operating rooms, post-anesthesia care units, emergency departments, and radiology departments will benefit from the information presented. Although this book is written for nurses, child life therapists, physical and occupational therapists, medical students and neurosurgery residents will also find it helpful. Parents of children with neurosurgical disorders will also find it a useful resource in understanding their child’s condition. Cathy C. Cartwright and Donna C. Wallace have been awarded third place in the 2017 American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Awards in CHILD HEALTH category.

Providing the most current information on injuries to the head and neck sustained by young athletes, this practical text presents a thorough review of the complex and emerging issues for youths and adolescents involved in contact/collision sports. While concussions are among the most common injuries, fractures of the skull and facial bones and structural brain injuries can be serious and are discussed in chapters of their own, as are stingers and other cervical spine and cord issues and disease. Injuries to the eyes, ears and jaw are likewise examined. Prevention is a major theme throughout the book, as seen in chapters on protective head- and neckwear, transportation of injured players, and sideline response and return-to-play. Head and Neck Injuries in Young Athletes will be an excellent resource not only for orthopedists and sports medicine specialists treating growing athletes, but also specialists and team physicians who are on the scene at sporting events where these injuries may occur.

A comprehensive summary of sport-related concussion for parents, coaches, and athletes that considers the physics behind the injury, identifies what can be done to reduce the risk of its occurrence, and describes how to respond to a suspected concussion. Concussion injury among athletes continues to be a subject of great concern. Increasing attention and research is focusing on the most vulnerable of athletes—children. What strategies can be taken to best protect young athletes in sports from grammar school football leagues to high school hockey and soccer teams from concussion? How do we treat youngsters who suffer head injuries in sports? What are the ethical considerations in allowing children to play such sports, given the risks to still-developing brains? In this updated and expanded guide, William Meehan, MD, explains simply and clearly how coaches, parents, and others who work with young athletes can recognize concussion; best help children and youths recover from concussion injuries; and take steps to become proactive to prevent concussion. Readers will learn what causes a sport-related concussion; what happens to brain cells during a concussion; and why concussion, which in the past was dismissed as a trivial injury, is taken so much more seriously now. The book explains how to decrease the risk of concussion; addresses the potential for cumulative effects from multiple concussions, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy; and discusses the ethical dimensions of deciding whether an athlete with multiple concussions should continue to participate in high-risk sports.