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Post-concussive syndrome after mild head trauma: epidemiological features in Tunisia

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European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Minor head injury is one of the major diagnoses requiring management in emergency departments (ED) but its squeals are not well studied in our country.

Objective

To describe the prevalence of post-concussive syndrome and its impacts on life activities, up to 6 months of follow-up, among patients having a minor head injury and discharged from ED.

Methods

A prospective bi-centric study including adults having a minor head trauma and consenting to be followed up to 6 months after discharge. The Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) was used at baseline, after 15 days, at 1 month, at 3 months and at 6 months post-injury to assess concussive symptoms. We also used the Rivermead Head Injury Follow-up Questionnaire (RHFUQ) to describe impacts of minor head trauma on life activities.

Results

There were 130 consenting patients at baseline interview. Proportion of patients describing post-concussive symptoms at baseline was 71/130. At 6 months of follow-up, post-concussive syndrome was diagnosed among 21.4 % of participants. Sustaining symptoms at 6 months post-injury were mainly anger and irritability (12.5 %). Correlations between high RPQ sum rates since 15 days’ post-injury call and the sum total rates of RHFUQ were significant. The major significant impact of minor head trauma at 6 months of follow-up was among domestic activities.

Conclusion

The two most important findings of this study were the huge proportion of patients having minor head injury and discharged from ED without any explanation of possible symptoms after head trauma and the unknown impacts on life activities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Emergency Department, University Hospital Habib Bourguiba Sfax, Service des urgences et SAMU04 SFAX, Route EL Aïn Km 0,5, 3029, Sfax, Tunisia

    O. Chakroun-Walha, I. Rejeb, M. Boujelben, A. Mtibaa, H. Ksibi, A. Chaari & N. Rekik

  2. Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital Habib Bourguiba Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia

    K. Chtara & M. Bouaziz

Authors
  1. O. Chakroun-Walha
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  2. I. Rejeb
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  3. M. Boujelben
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  4. K. Chtara
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  5. A. Mtibaa
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  6. H. Ksibi
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  7. A. Chaari
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  8. M. Bouaziz
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  9. N. Rekik
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to O. Chakroun-Walha.

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Conflict of interest

All authors (Olfa Chakroun-Walha, Imen Rejeb, Mariem Boujelben, Kamilia Chtara, Achraf Mtibaa, Hichem Ksibi, Adel Chaari, Mounir Bouaziz and Noureddine Rekik) declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Compliance with ethics guidelines

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study. This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by the any of the authors.

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Chakroun-Walha, O., Rejeb, I., Boujelben, M. et al. Post-concussive syndrome after mild head trauma: epidemiological features in Tunisia. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 43, 747–753 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-016-0656-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-016-0656-7

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