Trending Clinical Topic of the Week (September 8-14): Concussion
The return of a popular American sport associated with a serious condition, and new guidelines to protect children, resulted in this week's top search term. The National Football League (NFL) recently began its 2018-2019 season. The connection between concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy in former football players has been the subject of increasing concern for the league and its fans. The most recent data available from the NFL showed that 291 concussions were reported during the 2017 season, which marks the highest total over the past 5 years. Whether this represents increasing incidence or a heightened awareness regarding reporting and diagnosis remains unclear.
Closer to home for most healthcare professionals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued the first evidence-based clinical guidelines in the United States for diagnosing and managing concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) from all causes in children. The guidelines include 19 sets of recommendations that cover the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of pediatric mTBI. Among the most important elements is that providers are instructed to counsel patients on gradually returning to nonsports activities after no more than 2-3 days of rest. Safety is the key to this week's top clinical trending topic, from professional athletes to children at play.
For more information on concussion, read here.
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Cite this: Ryan Syrek. Trending Clinical Topics for September 2018 - Medscape - Sep 28, 2018.
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