• Mark R Zonfrillo, Dennis R Durbin, Thomas D Koepsell, Jin Wang, Nancy R Temkin, Andrea M Dorsch, Monica S Vavilala, Kenneth M Jaffe, and Frederick P Rivara.
• 1 Center for Injury Research and Prevention, and the Division of Emergency Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Department of Pediatrics and Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• J. Neurotrauma. 2014 Apr 15; 31 (8): 722-7.

AbstractThis study aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of poor 3 and 12 month quality of life outcomes in a cohort of pediatric patients with isolated mild TBI. We conducted a prospective cohort study of children and adolescents <18 years of age treated for an isolated mild TBI, defined as "no radiographically apparent intracranial injury" or "an isolated skull fracture, and no other clinically significant non-brain injuries." The main outcome measure was the change in quality of life from baseline at 3 and 12 months following injury, as measured by the Pediatric Quality of Life index (PedsQL). Poor functioning was defined as a decrease in total PedsQL score of >15 points between baseline and follow-up scores (at 3 and 12 months). Of the 329 patients who met inclusion criteria, 11.3% (95% CI 8.3-15.3%) at 3 months and 12.9% (95% CI 9.6-17.2%) at 12 months following injury had relatively poor functioning. Significant predictors of poor functioning included less parental education, Hispanic ethnicity (at 3 months following injury, but not at 12 months); low household income (at 3 and 12 months), and Medicaid insurance (at 12 months only). Children and adolescents sustaining a mild TBI who are socioeconomically disadvantaged may require additional intervention to mitigate the effects of mild TBI on their functioning.

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