Baseline predictors of fatigue 1 year after mild head injury

To compare reports of fatigue 12 months after minor trauma by participants with mild head injury (MHI) with those with other injury, and identify injury and baseline predictors of fatigue.

An inception cohort study of participants with MHI and other nonhead injuries recruited from and interviewed at the emergency department (ED), with a follow-up telephone interview at 12 months.

Level II community hospital ED.

Participants (n=58) with MHI and loss of consciousness (LOC) of 30 minutes or less and/or posttraumatic amnesia (PTA) less than 24 hours, 173 with MHI but no PTA/LOC, and 128 with other mild nonhead injuries.

age 18 years or older, within 24 hours of injury, Glasgow Coma Scale score of 13 or higher, and discharge from the ED.

Not applicable.

Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey Vitality subscale.

Significant predictors of fatigue severity at 12 months were baseline fatigue, having seen a counselor for a mental health issue, medical disability, marital status, and in some stage of litigation. Injury type was not a significant predictor.

Fatigue severity 12 months after injury is associated with baseline characteristics and not MHI. Clinicians should be cautious about attributing persisting fatigue to MHI without comprehensive consideration of other possible etiologic factors.