Practice management guidelines for the management of mild traumatic brain injury: The EAST Practice Management Guidelines Work Group

A. MTBI has defined clinical diagnostic criteria, the hallmark of which is a transient neurologic deficit, along with a diagnostic study confirming the absence of acute skull fracture or pathology. B. CT of the brain is the gold standard diagnostic study for MTBI patients and should be performed on all patients sustaining a transient neurologic deficit secondary to trauma. A patient with a normal hCT scan has a 0 to 3% probability for neurologic deterioration, usually in a patient with a GCS of 13 or 14. C. Neuropsychological testing may assist in the diagnostic work-up to identify high-risk patients during their acute hospitalization, and/or be used in 1 to 2 months to evaluate patients with persistent postconcussive symptoms. D. The majority of MTBI patients recover completely within 1 month from MTBI. More is necessary to make data-based recommendations on the management and prognosis in the minority who do not recover in that time frame.