SHOULD CHILDREN WITH SPORT-RELATED CONCUSSION OBSERVE STRICT PHYSICAL REST UNTIL SYMPTOM-FREE?

A short cut review was carried out to establish whether strict physical rest following sports related concussion in children is better than normal activity in reducing post-concussional symptoms, two recent systematic reviews presented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these papers are tabulated. It is concluded that children who present with a sport-related concussion should have a brief period of cognitive and physical rest followed by a gradual increase in activity. Further studies should examine the length of the brief rest period, however at this time 24-48 hours of rest should be recommended.