Time To Expand The Term ‘Minor Head Injury’: Clinical Risk And Biomarker Research

Mild head injury is responsible for more than 75% of presentations in the acute environment, exhibiting significant clinical heterogeneity-the wide variation in injury mechanisms and outcomes despite similar initial symptoms-yet most patients are under-examined or discharged prematurely.e prevalence is greatest in the elderly (≥65 years) who are at risk of late deterioration and young athletes with possible chronic cognitive dysfunction. 1 Prognosis varies from complete recovery to permanent disability, especially where follow-up is not performed routinely.While often used interchangeably, "minor head injury" is a clinical descriptor for Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) 13-15, whereas "mild traumatic brain injury (TBI)" is a specific diagnostic term. 2 e phrase "minor head injury" has been common usage in clinical practice, research, and popular opinion to refer to awake and oriented patients with blunt head trauma, typically based on a GCS score of 13-15. 1 is term does little more than downplay risk and obscure important variation in clinical course, radiologic presentation, and outcome.