For your convenience, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has designed an online learning opportunity about pediatric concussion for physicians and medical professionals. These videos will help you:
- Provide and plan patient care after a concussion while utilizing all components of the concussion toolkit.
- Describe the immediate and delayed potential consequences of concussion and the dangers of multiple concussions.
- Explain when to advance to include an emergency department assessment and/or a CT scan.
- Discuss with patients and parents the importance of a gradual return to activities, cognitive rest and follow-up care.
Our multidisciplinary approach helps make the Children’s Concussion Program unique, with services including:
- Emergency
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Sports medicine
- Urgent care
- Neuropsychology
- Physiatry (physical medicine and rehabilitation)
Our Concussion Program
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Children's Concussion Program
Our team sees thousands of kids with concussions each year, providing evaluation and care. We are also the only organization in Georgia with a dedicated concussion hotline.
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Multiple concussions
When an athlete is concussed one time, there’s a high risk of a second concussion with less of a blow, and symptoms seem to last a little longer.
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Preventing concussions
Concussions cannot be prevented, but we can help prevent the long-term effects by recognizing and treating concussions.
Diagnosing a Concussion
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Computerized cognitive testing
Computerized cognitive testing is one tool that can be used to help make return-to-play decisions after a pediatric concussion.
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Diagnosing concussions
We use a combination of tools and tests to determine whether a child has had a concussion.
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Overview of traumatic brain injury
A severe impact or force can cause traumatic brain injury in a child, risking damage to the brain.
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Signs that it's serious
Some head injuries require more than rest. Learn the signs that a head injury needs immediate attention.
Concussion Treatment and Prevention
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Treating patients in a primary care setting
Using a number of determining factors shared by patients and families, a child’s physician can help diagnose a concussion.
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When to refer a patient to the emergency department
Pediatricians should know the signs and symptoms in order to determine whether a child needs to be taken to an emergency department for additional concussion care.
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Cognitive rest and returning to school
Depending on concussion severity, treatment may last for days, weeks or months. Limit brain activity to keep concussion signs from coming back or getting worse.
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Difficulty in school after a concussion
Every child recovers at a different rate after a concussion. It depends on how severe the concussion is when a child is injured.
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Lingering headache after a concussion
Headaches can linger after a concussion and can cause other problems in children who have experienced an injury.
Concussion Treatment During School or Activities
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On the sidelines
It’s important to understand how to spot the signs of a concussion so athletes can be removed from play. Learn more about treating concussed patients on the sidelines.
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Returning to play
It is important that children and teens rest and give their brains time to heal after a concussion. A second head trauma before recovery could lead to more serious injuries.
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Symptomatic, but the big game is this week
If a child or teen is still showing signs of a concussion, it’s important to know when he or she can safely return to sports or activities.
Concussion toolkit
Our concussion toolkit is a collection of materials created by Children’s that is designed to help you manage concussions in your practice. You will find:
- A tool for assessing concussions and mild brain injuries
- Emergency department referral and CT scan criteria
- The Glasgow coma scale
- Red flags and signs that a concussion is serious
- A cognitive rest and academic recovery plan and sample letters
- Sample return-to-play and return-to-game letters
Download our concussion tool kit
Other resources
- Baseline testing: Children’s uses Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT), a computer-based evaluation for sports concussion.
- Coaches Guide for Assessing Medical Events (GAME) cards
- Concussion prevention tips
Continuing medical education (CME)
After watching the concussion video series and downloading the concussion tool kit, earn CME credit.
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