Relationship Between CT Head Findings and Long-term Recovery in Children with Complicated Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

ABSTRACT

Primary Objective

Complicated mild traumatic brain injury (C-mTBI) refers to CT positive patients with clinically mild TBI. This study investigates the association between CT head findings at time of injury and recovery of paediatric patients with C-mTBI.

Research Design

Retrospective survey and chart review.

Methods

For paediatric patients with C-mTBI (N = 77), CT findings associated with corresponding degree and lengths of recovery from C-mTBI using logistic regression analysis.

Results

There was a trend that the odds of incomplete recovery at the time of survey was higher for older children than for younger children (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 0.98–1.32, p = 0.072). There was a trend that the odds of incomplete recovery (OR = 6.26, 95% CI = 0.97–40.57, p = 0.054) and longer duration for recovery (OR = 8.14, 95% CI = 0.78–84.46, p = 0.079) was higher for children with multiple haemorrhagic contusions than those with single haemorrhagic contusion. No other imaging patterns predicted degree or length of recovery with statistical significance (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Other than the presence of multiple haemorrhagic contusions, no other pattern of imaging abnormality in paediatric C-mTBI appears to be associated with degree or length of recovery. Further studies with larger cohorts are encouraged.

KEYWORDS:

• Complicated mild traumatic brain injury
• computed tomography
• concussion
• degree and length of recovery
• pediatric mild traumatic brain injury
• imaging findings

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.