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Concussion Care Pathway

Date of last update: September, 2024

8. Diagnosis

 

  • Prevalence: Nearly one in two people will experience a concussion in their lifetime.

  • Considerations: While diagnosing concussion is straightforward in cases involving an obvious external force to the head, clinical reasoning is essential when symptoms overlap with other conditions (e.g. anxiety, migraine). A comprehensive diagnostic strategy should integrate clinical findings with the patient’s history and any relevant risk factors  to rule out more serious conditions or traumatic brain injuries.

 

Diagnostic Criteria:

  • One or more of the following conditions must be met for a concussion diagnosis, provided a plausible mechanism of injury has been established and other potential causes for the patient’s symptoms have been ruled out:

    • Presence of one or more of the following clinical signs: Altered mental status, loss of consciousness (<30 minutes), amnesia (<24 hours), neurological signs (e.g., seizure, coordination problems).

    • Presence of two or more new or worsened symptoms: Subjective alteration of mental status (i.e., feeling dazed or confused), physical symptoms (headache, nausea, dizzy or sensitive to light/sound), cognitive symptoms (feeling run down, fatigue or foggy/lower processing speed), emotional symptoms (irritability, sadness, lability, impulsivity).

    • Imaging: Clear evidence of neurotrauma.

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CCGI is funded by provincial associations and regulatory boards, and national associations including the Canadian Chiropractic Association

and Canadian Chiropractic Protective Association. CCGI maintains editorial independence from funders.

All content and media on the Canadian Chiropractic Guideline Initiative (CCGI) website is created and published online for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with questions, concerns or management regarding your health.

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