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Current concepts in the management of patients with so-called ‘minor’ or ‘mild’ head injury

Royal Infirmary University NHS Trust, Castle Street, Glasgow, UK

GM Teasdale

University Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Neurological Sciences, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, UK

‘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.

Key Words: mild head injury • guidelines • mechanism • imaging • observation • discharge plan

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