[Better guidelines needed for mild traumatic brain injury in the primary care setting]

In Sweden, there are currently no consensus guidelines aimed at the management of patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in a primary care setting. The aim of this study was to assess the need for such guidelines by a web-based, multiple choice, case-based survey asking primary care physicians how they manage mTBI patients in the early (acute) and late (persistent symptoms) stage. The survey demonstrated a more uniform patient management pattern in the acute stage of mTBI, while it revealed a more heterogenous pattern in the later stage. This illustrates the need for consensus guidelines in the management of this patient category in the primary care setting, which was further substantiated by the request for such guidelines by 85% of the physicians participating in the survey.