Risk Factors for Prolonged Symptoms of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Pediatric Sports Concussion Clinic Cohort

To examine predictors of prolonged symptom duration from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in a pediatric sports medicine specialty clinic cohort as these predictors may be distinct in this population.

Retrospective chart review.

Outpatient specialty clinic.

Charts of 549 patients (age range: 10-18 years) with concussions were reviewed in an outpatient clinic that predominantly managed sports-related injuries (77.3%). Patients (n = 431) included in the final analysis met the criteria for mTBI and were symptomatic at their first visit.

Patient history, injury, and recovery variables were evaluated.

Predictors of prolonged time to reach self-reported symptom recovery were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards.

Median time to symptom recovery of the 431 patients who presented to clinic with symptoms was 40 days (full clinic sample median = 34 days). Analyses identified 3 unique predictors of symptom recovery: loss of consciousness (LOC) [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.56, P < 0.0001], female sex (HR = 0.57, P < 0.0001), and concussion symptom score at first clinic visit (HR = 0.76, P < 0.0001).

Prolonged duration of mTBI symptoms in patients who present to a pediatric sports-based concussion clinic is related to initial symptom severity, female sex, and LOC.