Notice to Readers: Heads Up! Tool for Diagnosing and Managing Brain Injury FREE

MMWR. 2007;56:559

An estimated 75%-90% of the 1.4 million traumatic brain injury–related deaths, hospitalizations, and emergency department visits that occur each year in the United States are concussions or mild traumatic brain injuries (MTBIs).^1-5 Clinicians can help prevent MTBI or concussion and improve patient health outcomes with early diagnosis, management, and appropriate referral. However, diagnosing MTBIs can be challenging because certain symptoms are similar to those of other medical conditions (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and headache syndromes), and the onset or recognition of symptoms might not occur until days or weeks after the injury.⁶

To aid clinicians in the diagnosis and management of MTBIs, CDC recently updated and revised the Heads Up: Brain Injury in Your Practice tool kit. The free tool kit can be ordered or downloaded at http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/tbi/physicians_tool_kit.htm. Additional information regarding MTBI is available at http://www.cdc.gov/injury, or by e-mail, cdcinfo@cdc.gov, or telephone, 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636).

REFERENCES: 6 Available.