The Necessity for Observation after Traumatic Loss of Consciousness

摘要

Mild traumatic brain injury affects approximately 1.1 million people in the United States annually,1 making it a very common cause for emergency room visits and admissions to trauma centers. MTBI, as defined by the EAST MTBI guidelines, includes acute alteration in brain function caused by blunt external force, a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) of 13 to 15, loss of consciousness for 30 minutes or less, posttraumatic amnesia less than 24 hours, and a negative CT of the head.