Mild traumatic brain injury in the occupational setting.

The evaluation and management of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in the occupational setting may pose significant challenges for even the most-seasoned practitioner. Providers must simultaneously address the clinical management of mTBI and be familiar with the systematic and administrative requirements related to the management of injured workers with mTBI who are covered by workers' compensation insurance, including causation, return to work, and the potential of permanent impairment. Given the primarily subjective nature of many mTBI symptoms, an injured worker with a delayed recovery may raise the question, if not suspicion, of symptom magnification and secondary gain. This review discusses the evaluation and treatment of the injured worker with mTBI, and focuses on the medicolegal issues that are present in the workers' compensation system, especially the role of neuropsychological evaluations. Although significant differences exist regarding classification schema, for the purposes of this discussion, mTBI is used to encompass the terms concussion, postconcussive syndrome, and persistent postconcussive syndrome.

Prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism during rehabilitation for traumatic brain injury: a multicenter observational study.

BACKGROUND: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity after traumatic brain injury (TBI). There is no consensus regarding appropriate screening, prophylaxis, or treatment during acute rehabilitation. METHODS: This prospective observational study evaluated prophylactic anticoagulation during rehabilitation in patients with TBI aged 16 years or older admitted to 12 TBI Model Systems rehabilitation centers (July 2004-December 2007). After propensity score stratification within center, the odds ratio associated with incidence of symptomatic DVT or pulmonary embolism (PE) for patients who did and did not receive prophylactic anticoagulation was estimated using conditional logistic regression in patients who were not screened for DVT on rehabilitation admission or who screened negative; the analysis was repeated in these two subgroups. RESULTS: Patients with identified DVTs at rehabilitation admission (n = 266) were excluded, leaving 1,897 patients: 1,002 screened negative, 895 unscreened; 932 received prophylactic anticoagulation, and 965 did not. Symptomatic DVT/PE was detected in 32 patients (15 of 932 [1.6%] with prophylaxis, 17 of 965 [1.8%] without). After propensity score adjustment, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for symptomatic DVT/PE with prophylaxis versus no prophylaxis was 0.80 (0.33-1.94) in the full analytic population and 0.46 (0.12-1.84) in the screened-negative subgroup. The only probable venous thromboembolism-related death occurred in the prophylactic anticoagulation group. Fewer new/expanded intracranial hemorrhages occurred among patients who received prophylactic anticoagulation. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic anticoagulation during rehabilitation seemed safe for TBI patients whose physicians deemed it appropriate, but did not conclusively reduce venous thromboembolism. Given the number of DVTs present before rehabilitation, screening and prophylaxis during acute care may be more important.

Stroke and neurodegenerative disorders: 2. Poststroke medical complications.

OBJECTIVE: This self-directed learning module highlights common poststroke medical complaints encountered on an inpatient rehabilitation unit. It is part of the study guide on stroke and neurodegenerative disorders in the Self-Directed Physiatric Education Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Using a case vignette format, this article specifically focuses on the differential diagnosis, evaluation and management of chest pain, mental status changes, weight loss and poor motivation in stroke patients. The goal of this article is to expand the learner's knowledge of how to diagnose and manage common medical complications of stroke patients in rehabilitation.

Stroke and neurodegenerative disorders: 3. Poststroke rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE: This self-directed learning module highlights rehabilitation strategies in poststroke rehabilitation. It is part of the study guide on stroke and neurodegenerative disorders in the Self-Directed Physiatric Education Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Using a case vignette format, this article specifically focuses on typical clinical presentations, recovery patterns, and traditional and innovative therapeutic interventions in poststroke rehabilitation such as constraint-induced movement therapy, treadmill training, functional electrical stimulation, robot-aided therapy, virtual reality treatment, cortical stimulation, speech therapy for aphasia, and orthotic management. The goal of this article is to influence the learner's knowledge on the delivery of poststroke rehabilitation treatment.

Stroke and neurodegenerative disorders: 4. Community integration.

OBJECTIVE: This self-directed learning module highlights common rehabilitation issues in stroke survivors with chronic impairments with emphasis on community integration. It is part of the study guide on stroke and neurodegenerative disorders in the Self-Directed Physiatric Education Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Using a case vignette format, this article specifically focuses on management of shoulder pain, management of hypertonia, secondary stroke prevention, vocational reintegration including strategies for return to driving, and treatment of sexual dysfunction following stroke. The goal of this article is to improve the learner's ability to implement community integration strategies after a stroke.

Stroke and neurodegenerative disorders: 1. Stroke management in the acute care setting.

OBJECTIVE: This self-directed learning module highlights management of stroke in the acute care setting. It is part of the study guide on stroke and neurodegenerative disorders in the Self-Directed Physiatric Education Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Using a case vignette format, this article specifically focuses on initial assessment and management of acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, descriptions of posterior circulation and lacunar stroke, and criteria for admission to acute inpatient rehabilitation after stroke and secondary stroke prevention. The goal of this article is to improve the learner's ability to identify, treat and manage a patient with a stroke in the acute care setting.

Rehabilitation interventions in Parkinson disease.

OBJECTIVE: This self-directed learning module provides an evidence-based update of exercise-based rehabilitation interventions to treat Parkinson disease (PD). It is part of the study guide on stroke and neurodegenerative disorders in the Self-Directed Physiatric Education Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation. This focused review emphasizes treatment of locomotion deficits, upper limb motor control deficits, and hypokinetic dysarthria. New dopaminergic agents and deep brain stimulation are facilitating longer periods of functional stability for patients with PD. Adjunctive exercise-based treatments can therefore be applied over longer periods of time to optimize function before inevitable decline from this neurodegenerative disease. As function deteriorates in patients with PD, the role of caregivers becomes more critical, thus training caregivers is of paramount importance to help maintain a safe environment and limit caregiver anxiety and depression. The overall goal of this article is to enhance the learner's existing practice techniques used to treat PD through exercise-based intervention methods.

Agitation after traumatic brain injury: considerations and treatment options.

Posttraumatic agitation is a challenging problem for acute and rehabilitation staff, persons with traumatic brain injury, and their families. Specific variables for evaluation and care remain elusive. Clinical trials have not yielded a strong foundation for evidence-based practice in this arena. This review seeks to evaluate the present literature (with a focus on the decade 1995-2005) and employ previous clinical experience to deliver a review of the topic. We will discuss definitions, pathophysiology, evaluation techniques, and treatment regimens. A recommended approach to the evaluation and treatment of the person with posttraumatic agitation will be presented. The authors hope that this review will spur discussion and assist in facilitating clinical care paradigms and research programs.