Check Out CDC’s Resources for Patients and Health Care Professionals
By Richard C. Hunt, MD, FACEP
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Each year approximately 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and of them, 275,000 are hospitalized and 1.4 million are treated and released from the emergency department. So the chances are that you have probably seen or will see a patient with this injury at some point during your career.
As you know, symptoms of mild TBI may appear minor, but can lead to significant, life-long impairment affecting an individual’s ability to function physically, cognitively, and psychologically. However, careful management of mild TBI can facilitate recovery and prevent further injury.
Because you know the importance of providing your patients with easy to understand information and tools that can help facilitate their recovery, I want to tell you about CDC’s patient education material that instructs patients on what to expect once they return home from the emergency department, when to return for immediate medical attention, and steps to take to facilitate recovery:
CDC also developed materials to assist clinicians in the diagnosis and management of mild TBI, such as:
- Acute Concussion Evaluation (ACE) form
- ACE Care Plan (Work)
- ACE Care Plan (School)
- Clinical Practice Guideline
For more information on preventing, recognizing, and responding to mild TBI, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/clinician.html
Also, learn more about CDC’s TBI activities and join the conversation at: www.facebook.com/cdcheadsup.
