Characteristics of pediatric patients with sports-related concussions: A single site retrospective review.
Jose A Cruz Ayala, Shahrukh Khan, Holly Monk and 5 others
PMID 40368360WHAT IT FOUND
Pediatric sports concussions peak during each sport's season, with football leading.
Uninsured or Medicaid patients were more likely to present to the emergency department, miss follow-up appointments, and require a longer period to complete the same number of visits as privately insured patients.
Key findings
01Concussion incidence followed sport seasons, with football causing the most injuries overall, while cheerleading concussions occurred more often during practice than competition.
02Patients with Medicaid or no insurance were significantly more likely to present to the emergency department for initial concussion care compared to privately insured patients.
03Medicaid or uninsured patients had more missed appointments and a longer total duration of follow-up care, despite receiving the same average number of follow-up visits as privately insured patients.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was retrospective, so it could not determine why patients chose the emergency department or what specific barriers prevented follow-up attendance. Data came from a single hospital in New Orleans, so findings may not apply to other regions or populations. The study only included patients who sought medical care, missing those who sustained concussions but did not visit a doctor.
Declared interests
The authors received no financial support and declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the longer follow-up duration for uninsured patients as evidence that their injuries were more severe or harder to treat. The data shows the same number of visits were required, but missed appointments stretched the calendar time, reflecting access barriers rather than clinical complexity.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →