Parental recognition of postconcussive symptoms in children.

Evaluation of current emergency department discharge instructions and parental recognition of symptomatology requiring further care for traumatic brain injury (TBI) is not well understood. A convenience sample of 105 parents of children aged 5 to 17 years who were seen and discharged from the pediatric emergency department with TBI was identified. Parents were surveyed by telephone 2 to 5 days after injury and a questionnaire was completed regarding identification of TBI symptoms. This study demonstrated that despite verbal and written discharge instructions, many parents with symptomatic children reported that their children were asymptomatic, and unable to identify postconcussive symptoms in their children.