Specialty-Specific Diagnoses in Pediatric Patients With Postconcussion Syndrome: Experience From a Multidisciplinary Concussion Clinic

Abstract

Objective: To describe the collaborative findings across a broad array of subspecialties in children and adolescents with postconcussion syndrome (PCS) in a pediatric multidisciplinary concussion clinic (MDCC) setting.

Design: Retrospective analysis.

Setting: Multidisciplinary concussion clinic at a pediatric tertiary-level hospital.

Patients: Fifty-seven patients seen in MDCC for evaluation and management of PCS between June 2014 and January 2016.

Interventions: Clinical evaluation by neurology, sports medicine, otolaryngology, optometry, ophthalmology, physical therapy, and psychology.

Main outcome measures: Specialty-specific clinical findings and specific, treatable diagnoses relevant to PCS symptoms.

Results: A wide variety of treatable, specialty-specific diagnoses were identified as potential contributing factors to patients' postconcussion symptoms. The most common treatable diagnoses included binocular vision dysfunction (76%), anxiety, (57.7%), depression (44.2%), new or change in refractive error (21.7%), myofascial pain syndrome (19.2%), and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (17.5%).

Conclusions: Patients seen in a MDCC setting receive a high number of treatable diagnoses that are potentially related to patients' PCS symptoms. The MDCC approach may (1) increase access to interventions for PCS-related impairments, such as visual rehabilitation, physical therapy, and psychological counseling; (2) provide patients with coordinated medical care across specialties; and (3) hasten recovery from PCS.