Comments Sought for Development of Guideline on Diagnosis and Management of mTBI in children

Comment period closes April 7, 2013

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) seeks comments on the Pediatric Mild TBI Guideline Workgroup protocol on diagnosing and treating pediatric mild TBI (among patients age 18 and under). Comprised of leading experts in the field of TBI, CDC Injury Center's Board of Scientific Counselors established the Pediatric Mild TBI Guideline Workgroup to create this guideline for the acute care and primary care setting. The Workgroup is using the AAN's guideline development process to develop a multidisciplinary, evidence-based guideline.

The Pediatric Mild TBI Guideline Workgroup requests comments on the following issues:

• For children or adolescents (teenagers) who are thought to have an mTBI, do specific tools accurately diagnose mTBI?
• For children or adolescents being treated in the emergency room (or other acute care setting) with mTBI, how often does routine head imaging identify brain injury?
• For children or adolescents being treated in the emergency room (or other acute care setting) with mTBI, which features identify patients at risk for brain injury?
• For children and adolescents with mTBI, what factors identify those at greater risk for ongoing problems, more–severe symptoms, or delayed recovery?
• For children and adolescents with mTBI, which factors identify those at greater risk of health complications lasting more than one year?
• For children or adolescents with mTBI who have ongoing symptoms, which treatments improve outcomes related to the injury?

The public will be asked to comment on the initial draft of the guideline recommendations when it becomes available.

How to Submit Your Comments

• Download a pdf copy of the Protocol/Project Plan document
• Carefully review the Protocol/Project Plan document
• Submit your comments

Questions?

Email guidelines@aan.com or call (612) 928–6020.

The AAN has ended its comment period in developing new guideline recommendations for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with prescription medication and behavioral therapies.

Guideline Development Phases: Comments on AAN Guidelines

This is the third guideline to be developed by the American Academy of Neurology in which public comments will be considered as part of the development process. The AAN updated its guideline development process in November 2011, incorporating all standards from the Institute of Medicine.

Over the course of what is typically a twelve– to eighteen–month process, comments will be sought in the first three of four phases of systematic review and guideline development. For each comment period and each phase, the public will have the opportunity to review the materials and submit their comments within 30 days:

• Phase One: 
  Comment period on what should be included in guideline (Protocol/Project Plan Review)
• Phase Two: 
  Comment period on draft of research findings (Systematic Review)
• Phase Three: 
  Comment period on draft guideline recommendations (Guideline Review)
• Phase Four: 
  Dissemination of guideline recommendations published in the journal Neurology