Citation

Swann IJ, Teasdale GM. Trauma (Sage) 1999; 1(2): 143-155.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/146040869900100206

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

'Mild' head injury is increasingly recognized as a potential source of physical and psychological disability, but there is a lack of consistency about the definition and management of these patients. We discuss and define the terms 'mild' and 'minor', the assessment of post-traumatic amnesia, and the relevance of other signs and symptoms.

Previous guidelines and recent evidence that a 'mild' injury may be followed by an intracranial complication are reviewed as a basis for recommendations for investigation and management in accident and emergency departments, for in-patient observation and for discharge planning.

Keywords mild head injury, guidelines, mechanism, imaging, observation, discharge plan

Language: en