Misdiagnosis of Pediatric Concussions in the Emergency Department: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Objective We aimed to determine the rate and predictors of correctly diagnosed concussions in the pediatric emergency department and to describe the characteristics, presentation, and management of concussions in children presenting for minor head injury. Methods We included 186 patients aged 5 to 18 years presenting within 24 hours of minor head injuries and met our diagnostic criteria for concussion. We compared patients correctly diagnosed with a concussion with those who were not. Our main outcome was the rate and predictors of misdiagnoses. Results Of the patients, 5.4% were correctly diagnosed. Amnesia was the only variable associated with correct diagnoses (40.0% vs 10.2%, P = 0.02). The most common mechanism of injury was fall (8.4%); the most frequent symptoms were nausea/vomiting (42.5%), and 48.4% had a brain computed tomography scan done. Conclusions The high rate of concussion misdiagnosis puts into question the usability of current concussion guidelines, their accuracy, and barriers to translation into clinical practice. © Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.