Follow-up of patients subject to the mild traumatic brain injury

Background: In the past decade, accidents have been one of the top 10 causes of death in Taiwan. Head trauma caused by accidents has been an issue of concern in Taiwan. Although serious long-term effects have been documented, research on mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) remains scarce. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to analyze post-concussion symptome (PCS) and the relevant impact on physical, emotional, and cognitive functions. Materials and Methods: During 2012-2013, 105 patients with mTBI in a single hospital were surveyed based on the Rivermead postconcussion symptoms questionnaire in 1 week, and their postinjury status was followed 1 month later. The collected data were analyzed using the paired t-test and descriptive statistics. Results: The collected data were included patient demographics and pretrauma risk factors. A total of 101 patients were subject to mTBI. The rate increased among males and the population aged from 21 to 44 years old. The most common cause of injury was the motorcycle accident, where half of the patients had an initial loss of consciousness and posttraumatic amnesia. Partial resolution of symptoms was noted within 1 month for all participants, but some symptoms persisted (P < 0.0001). In general, patients (especially females) recovered faster from physical impairment. The analysis provides information about the impacts and shows the increased risk of neurocranial traumas related to mTBI. Conclusion: This study presents patients' PCS symptoms in different periods. Those symptoms improved gradually in 1 month, but some symptoms persisted, especially those affecting emotional and cognitive functions. Most patients in this study were young, and the illness had impact on the patients' daily life. As shown by the results, the risk factors were associated with prolonged PCS among females. Aside from physical symptoms, special attention should be paid to mental care as well. More predictors for mTBI may improve medical care quality and reduce losses of medical resources.