Functional Assessment of Concussion Tool Application in a Pediatric Concussion Clinic.

BACKGROUND: Traditional concussion symptom scales do not assess function. We piloted a mobile app-based assessment that aims to measure the functional impact of symptoms. METHODS: Patients with concussion completed the Functional Assessment of Concussion Tool and traditional symptom scales postinjury. RESULTS: Linear regression assessed the predictive value of the Functional Assessment of Concussion Tool symptom number and function rating compared to scores on 2 traditional symptom scales across 4 symptom domains. The mobile app symptom number predicted scores on traditional symptom scales across domains. The rating score predicted traditional scale scores in 2 domains. The mobile health tool did not predict recovery. DISCUSSION: This mobile health concussion symptom assessment may measure the functional impact of symptoms, though further study is needed.

Responding to the Psychological Needs of Health-Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Case Study from the Medical College of Wisconsin.

With the advent of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, health-care workers have been faced with an inordinately high level of trauma as frontline providers. The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) partnered with affiliate hospitals and community partners to mobilize a matrix of available support and interventions to deliver psychological services to reach all levels of health-care providers in timely, accessible formats. While virtual peer support groups were the most utilized resource among the support group options, other opportunities also provided unique benefits to learners whose education had been disrupted by the pandemic. Mental health must be prioritized for health-care workers in the event of future public health crises. Lessons learned from this pandemic indicate that it is critical to involve learners early on in the process in order to meet their educational needs and to increase access to evidence-based care.

Clinical Biopsychosocial Reflection on Coping With Chronic Illness and Reliance Upon Nutrition Support: An Integrated Healthcare Approach.

Nutrition deficits are common in patients with chronic illnesses reliant upon nutrition support and can contribute to an increase in cognitive deficits that impact treatment adherence and challenge patients' abilities to cope and successfully implement appropriate psychological and psychosocial interventions. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach addresses biological, psychological, and social barriers that help patients, families, and caregivers develop and maintain proper nutrition behaviors that can enhance patients' quality of life and reduce frustration and misunderstandings with medical providers. This article is a review of the literature, and it advances the importance of encompassing a biopsychosocial approach when addressing the needs of individuals with nutrition support needs.

Parental Knowledge and Recall of Concussion Discharge Instructions.

INTRODUCTION: Children increasingly are being seen in the emergency department for a concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). A key aim of the ED visit is to provide discharge advice that can help parents to identify an evolving neurosurgical crisis, facilitate recovery, and prevent reinjury. The present study examined parents' knowledge of symptoms and recall of discharge instructions after their adolescent's mTBI and the effect of supplementing written discharge instructions with verbal instruction and reinforcement. METHODS: We performed a nested observational study of parents/caregivers of patients who participated in a larger mTBI study. After their adolescent's mTBI, parents were given verbal and standardized written instructions. The ED discharge process was observed using a structured checklist, and parents were surveyed 3 days after discharge on knowledge and recall of discharge instructions. RESULTS: Ninety-three parents completed the postsurvey. Nearly 1 in 5 parents were confused about when to return to the emergency department after evaluation for head injury. Up to 1 in 4 parents could not recall specific discharge advice related to concussion. Parents who received verbal reinforcement of written discharge instructions were more likely to recall them. CONCLUSION: Emergency nurses and clinicians should strive to utilize both verbal and written discharge instructions with families to help increase understanding.

The Effectiveness of Prescribed Rest Depends on Initial Presentation After Concussion.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if patients with signs of injury respond differently to prescribed rest after concussion compared with patients with symptoms only. STUDY DESIGN: Secondary analysis was completed of a prospective randomized controlled trial (NCT01101724) of pediatric concussion patients aged 11-18 years. Patients completed computerized neurocognitive testing and standardized balance assessment at the emergency department within 24 hours of injury and on follow-up (3 and 10 days). Patients were randomized to rest or usual care and completed activity and symptom diaries for 10 days after injury. A series of 2?×?2 ANOVAs with grouping factors of patient group (symptoms, signs) and treatment arm (prescribed rest, standard of care) were used to examine differences on clinical measures. Univariate nonparametric test (ie, ?2 with ORs and 95% CIs) was used to examine the association between treatment arm and symptom status 1-9 days after injury. RESULTS: A 2?×?2 factorial ANOVA revealed a significant patient group × treatment arm interaction for symptom score at 3 days after injury (F?=?6.31, P?=?.01, ?2?=?0.07). Prescribed rest increased the likelihood of still being symptomatic at days 1-6 and 8 (P?

Activity-Related Symptom Exacerbations After Pediatric Concussion.

IMPORTANCE: Recovery from concussion generally follows a trajectory of gradual improvement, but symptoms can abruptly worsen with exertion. This phenomenon is poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: To characterize the incidence, course, and clinical significance of symptom exacerbations (spikes) in children after concussion. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This secondary analysis of clinical trial data analyzes 63 eligible participants prospectively recruited from an emergency department who were asked to complete a postconcussion symptom scale and record their activities in a structured diary for the next 10 days. They completed standardized assessments of symptoms (postconcussion symptom scale), cognition (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing), and balance (Balance Error Scoring System) 10 days following the injury. Eligible participants were aged 11 to 18 years and sustained a concussion (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria) that did not result in an abnormal computed tomography scan or require hospital admission. The trial was conducted from May 2010 to December 2012, and the analysis was conducted from November 2015 to February 2016. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE: The occurrence of symptom spikes, defined as an increase of 10 or more points on the postconcussion symptom scale over consecutive days. RESULTS: Of the 63 participants, there were 41 boys (65.1%) and 22 girls (34.9%), and the mean (SD) age was 13.8 (1.8) years. Symptom spikes occurred in one-third of the sample (20 participants [31.7%]). Symptom spikes tended to partially resolve within 24 hours. An abrupt increase in mental activity (ie, returning to school and extracurricular activities) from one day to the next increased the risk of a symptom spike (relative risk, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.21-3.21), but most symptom spikes were not preceded by a documented increase in physical or mental activity. Patients with symptom spikes were initially more symptomatic in the emergency department and throughout the observation period but did not differ from the group without symptom spikes on cognition or balance 10 days following injury. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Certain patients appeared susceptible to high and variable symptom reporting. Symptom spikes may not themselves be detrimental to recovery. The present findings support clinical guidelines for adolescents to return to school and activities gradually after concussion. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01101724.

Frequency and Outcomes of a Symptom-Free Waiting Period After Sport-Related Concussion.

BACKGROUND: Guidelines and practices for the management of sport-related concussion (SRC) have evolved swiftly over the past 2 decades. Despite common recommendations for a symptom-free waiting period (SFWP) before returning to sport, past reports have suggested poor utilization rates for this intervention. PURPOSE: To obtain current estimates of the utilization and characterization of SFWPs with high school and collegiate athletes. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. METHODS: Data were extracted from a larger prospective study that followed athletes with SRC across 13 institutions in southeastern Wisconsin from 2012 to 2014. Participants included 143 contact and collision sport athletes who were followed serially through their recoveries after SRCs. RESULTS: In the current study sample, 99.3% of athletes used an SFWP. The mean self-reported symptom duration was 6.35 days (median, 5 days), with 72.7% reporting symptom recovery within 1 week of injury, 93.7% within 2 weeks, and 99.3% within 30 days. Rate of same-season repeat concussion was low (3.8%) and was similar to or lower than the overall rate of concussion (4.3%). Five same-season repeat concussions occurred at a range of 8 to 42 days after initial injuries. CONCLUSION: In comparison with prior published data collected from 1999 to 2004, utilization and duration of SFWPs were higher in the current study samples (99.3% vs 60.3% of athletes reported an SFWP; mean duration, 6.1 vs 3.2 days), and athletes were withheld from sports for more days than previously reported (12.3 vs 7.4 days). Rate of same-season repeat concussion was equivalent to that of prior published data. The findings support improved adherence to clinical management guidelines through increased utilization of SFWPs after SRC.

Benefits of strict rest after acute concussion: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if recommending strict rest improved concussion recovery and outcome after discharge from the pediatric emergency department (ED). METHODS: Patients aged 11 to 22 years presenting to a pediatric ED within 24 hours of concussion were recruited. Participants underwent neurocognitive, balance, and symptom assessment in the ED and were randomized to strict rest for 5 days versus usual care (1-2 days rest, followed by stepwise return to activity). Patients completed a diary used to record physical and mental activity level, calculate energy exertion, and record daily postconcussive symptoms. Neurocognitive and balance assessments were performed at 3 and 10 days postinjury. Sample size calculations were powered to detect clinically meaningful differences in postconcussive symptom, neurocognitive, and balance scores between treatment groups. Linear mixed modeling was used to detect contributions of group assignment to individual recovery trajectory. RESULTS: Ninety-nine patients were enrolled; 88 completed all study procedures (45 intervention, 43 control). Postdischarge, both groups reported a 20% decrease in energy exertion and physical activity levels. As expected, the intervention group reported less school and after-school attendance for days 2 to 5 postconcussion (3.8 vs 6.7 hours total, P < .05). There was no clinically significant difference in neurocognitive or balance outcomes. However, the intervention group reported more daily postconcussive symptoms (total symptom score over 10 days, 187.9 vs 131.9, P < .03) and slower symptom resolution. CONCLUSIONS: Recommending strict rest for adolescents immediately after concussion offered no added benefit over the usual care. Adolescents' symptom reporting was influenced by recommending strict rest.

Bipolar disorders: symptoms and treatment in children and adolescents.

Bipolar disorders are being diagnosed with increasing frequency in children and adolescents, resulting in a need for nurses in a wide variety of settings to be aware of symptom presentation and treatment options. Symptoms can be conceptualized in a developmental context based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV TR) criteria. Symptoms of mania can be distinguished from other disorders, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, even when these disorders co-occur. Treatment options can include single or combination psychopharmacologic therapy, using a variety of mood stabilizers, atypical antipsychotic agents and subsequent treatment of residual ADHD symptoms. Additionally, therapeutic interventions for the child and family are important. While additional research is needed, appropriate treatment of pediatric bipolar disorders can lead to significant improvements in functioning and development.