Disparities in concussion diagnoses compared to ankle injuries.

BACKGROUND: Health disparities related to concussions have been reported in the literature for certain minority populations. Given the significant impact of concussions on long- and short-term function, the mitigation of barriers to accessing care is an important public health objective. OBJECTIVE: To determine if racial and ethnic disparities exist in patients who seek care for concussions compared to a control group with orthopedic ankle injuries (sprains and fractures) to minimize confounding factors that predispose to injury. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: Single institution between February 2016 and December 2020. PATIENTS: A retrospective review of electronic medical records was completed for patients with International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) diagnosis codes for concussion, ankle sprain, and ankle fracture. A total of 10,312 patients were identified: 1568 (15.2%) with concussion, 4871 (47.3%) with ankle sprain, and 3863 (37.5%) with ankle fracture. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were stratified by demographic factors, including sex, ethnicity, race, and insurance type. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diagnosis of concussion. RESULTS: The concussion group was the youngest (28.3 years ± 18.0) and had the fewest females (53.1%) compared to the ankle sprain (35.1 years ± 19.7; 58.7%) and fracture groups (44.1 years ± 21.3; 57.3%). The concussion group had a smaller proportion of Hispanic patients than the ankle sprain group (odds ratio [OR] 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.55-0.92, p = .010) and fracture group (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.44-0.75, p = <.001). In addition, the concussion group was less likely to be Asian (OR 0.70, CI 0.52-0.95, p = .023) than the sprain group and less likely to be Black/African American than both sprain (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.46-0.93, p = .017) and fracture groups (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.43-0.89, p = .010). There were no differences across racial groups between ankle sprains and fractures. Patients with Medicaid/Medicare and self-pay had a higher likelihood of being in the concussion group than those with private insurance. CONCLUSION: Differences in concussion diagnosis may exist between certain demographic groups compared to those with ankle injuries. Efforts to mitigate disparities in concussion care are worthwhile with a focus on patient and caregiver education.

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle tenotomy (PNT) alone versus PNT plus platelet-rich plasma injection for the treatment of chronic tendinosis: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Tendinosis is a chronic degenerative condition. Current research suggests both percutaneous needle tenotomy (PNT) and leukocyte-rich platelet-rich plasma (LR-PRP) may be effective treatments for chronic tendinosis, but no studies have assessed the effectiveness of PNT alone versus PNT with intratendinous LR-PRP for multiple tendon types in a single study. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of PNT versus PNT + LR-PRP to treat chronic tendinosis. STUDY DESIGN: Double-blind, randomized, controlled comparative treatment study. SETTING: Primary academic institution. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 40 participants who had chronic tendinosis (rotator cuff, wrist extensor, wrist flexor, hip abductor, proximal hamstring, patellar, or Achilles) confirmed via ultrasound, failed conservative treatment, and did not have tendon tears, known coagulopathy, or systemic illnesses. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomly assigned to PNT (n = 19) or PNT + LR-PRP (n = 21). Participants and outcomes assessors were blinded to treatment assignments. PNT was performed with 20-30 passes of a 22-gauge needle under ultrasound guidance, with 1% lidocaine given outside the tendon. LR-PRP was processed from whole blood (30-60 mL) and injected into the affected tendon using the same PNT technique. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome was current numerical rating scale pain at 6 weeks. Secondary outcomes were average pain, function, general well-being, and sleep quality at 6, 52, and 104 weeks. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. Overall, there were no significant differences between groups over time for any of the outcomes (P > .05). Between-group analyses showed significantly lower current and average pain after PNT compared to PNT + LR-PRP at 6 weeks (estimated-mean [SE]: 3.1[0.4] vs. 4.6[0.6], P = .04; 3.4[0.4] vs. 4.9[0.5], P = .03) only. Adverse event rates were low (PNT-3.9%; PNT + LR-PRP-5.0%) and related primarily to postprocedural pain and inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Although pain scores were lower after PNT compared to PNT + LR-PRP at 6 weeks, there were no between-group differences in outcomes at 52 or 104 weeks.

Sex-Based Differences in the Incidence of Sports-Related Concussion: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

CONTEXT: The incidence of sports-related concussion in females has been increasing in recent years. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a meta-analysis on sex-based differences in concussion incidence in various sports and to determine the effects of study design (retrospective vs prospective), setting (competition vs practice), and population (university and above vs high school and below) via a meta-regression. DATA SOURCES: PubMed (Medline), EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from January 2000 to January 2018. STUDY SELECTION: Studies reporting sports-related concussion incidence data for both males and females (age ≥10 years) were included. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4. METHODS: The rate ratio was calculated as the concussion rate in females/males. Data were pooled using the DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model. RESULTS: Thirty-eight studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. Soccer and basketball demonstrated significantly higher incidence of concussions in females compared with males (rate ratio [95% CI], 1.76 [1.43-2.16] and 1.99 [1.56-2.54], respectively; P < 0.01). Sex-based differences in concussion incidence rates for baseball/softball, ice hockey, lacrosse, swimming/diving, and track and field were not statistically significant. In the meta-regression analysis, there were no significant effects on the rate ratio when evaluating study design, setting, and population. CONCLUSION: Concussion incidence rates were significantly higher in females than in males for soccer and basketball.

Understanding the Level of Concussion Knowledge in High School Sports in New Jersey.

BACKGROUND: Coaches, athletic trainers (ATCs), and parents/guardians (parents) are important contributors to the proper identification and management of concussions in student-athletes. However, there are limited studies on the identification of concussion knowledge gaps that will help inform educational efforts and improve concussion outcomes in these groups. OBJECTIVE: To identify gaps and factors influencing concussion knowledge for high school athletics. DESIGN: Survey. SETTING: Public, private, and recreational leagues in New Jersey. PARTICIPANTS: 41 coaches, 34 ATCs, and 65 parents of high school student-athletes. METHODS: A 17-item online survey examining concussion knowledge was distributed to coaches, ATCs, and parents. Analyses included ANOVA for between-group comparisons of continuous variables and Pearson's correlations for categorical data. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Demographics, concussion knowledge, application of knowledge, access to educational materials, and confidence in the ability to identify concussions. RESULTS: Significant between-group differences were found for overall knowledge (F[2137] = 11.0, P < .001), factual knowledge (F[2137] = 8.7, P < .001), and application of knowledge (F[2137] = 3.5, P = .03), with parents scoring lower. Coaches, ATCs, and parents had gaps in factual knowledge of baseline testing scores and identification regarding symptom severity. More coaches (73.2%) and ATCs (97.1%) felt confident in concussion knowledge compared with parents (31.3%; P < .001). All groups thought mandatory education, new law, and guidelines were positive in promoting better care of student-athletes. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge gaps were identified in all groups. Educational programs for these groups should consider including targeted techniques, including vignettes, to illustrate application of concussion knowledge. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Pharmacology of balance and dizziness.

INTRODUCTION: Dizziness and vertigo encompass a spectrum of balance-related symptoms caused by a variety of etiologies. Balance is affected by many systems: proprioceptive pathways, and visual, cerebellar, vestibulocochlear, and vascular/vasovagal systems. Treatment includes antihistamines, antiemetics, benzodiazepines, anti-inflammatory, anti-Meniere's, anti-migraine, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and aminopyridines. Many medications may cause these balance-related symptoms. Onset characteristics differ and may be reversible or irreversible. Ototoxic drugs may affect the cochlea, the vestibular system, or both. Medications, whether at "therapeutic" or toxic doses, have a spectrum of side effects, depending on the medication and individual. PURPOSE: The section on drugs that treat dizziness and balance deficiencies was divided to elaborate on medications by classes and etiology specific treatment. Drugs with potential to cause balance-related symptoms were chosen to elaborate on specific medical issues encountered in rehabilitation. Background on advantages of certain drugs and methods to minimize adverse effects are reviewed. SUMMARY: Effective treatment depends on generating an accurate diagnosis, using the appropriate drug, appropriate dosage, and for an appropriate duration. For every medication, there is a spectrum of side effects at "therapeutic" and toxic doses, depending on the medication and individual. CONCLUSION: Practitioners must ensure correct diagnoses and cater their treatments to the patients' clinical scenario and medical units' capacities.

Vestibular and balance treatment of the concussed athlete.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this chapter is to provide an update on the clinical management of vestibular and balance dysfunction in a concussed athlete with a focus on diagnosis, initial work-up, and initial and continuing management. Although much is still unknown about the etiology of vestibular and balance dysfunction in a concussed athlete, we briefly review current theories about neural pathophysiology to help link proposed treatment methodologies. INTRODUCTION: The treatment and management of vestibular and balance dysfunction in concussed athletes requires a multidisciplinary approach and is based on continuous reassessment of the presenting symptoms. The clinical challenge toward managing persistent symptoms of the post-concussive athlete is discerning whether a set of symptoms match diagnostic testing and whether further neurological work up is necessary. Because there are no discrete time boundaries to make such judgment calls, we offer a guide to help with the difficult clinical decisions necessary to treat the post-concussive athlete. METHODS: Literature search was performed using the following keywords: Vestibular and balance dysfunction, concussion, concussed athlete and treatment, vestibular rehabilitation therapy. Original research studies, literature reviews, and clinical guidelines were reviewed between 1997 and 2012, with the majority of articles dating beyond 2004. Although we acknowledge that post-concussive states lie within a continuum, we decided to divide treatment and management into three stages: time after initial impact, recovery, and prolonged recovery. RESULTS: In post-concussive athletes, impairments in balance may exist as a result of transmitted force to peripheral and central neural substrates that integrate sensory information and coordinate motor function. Corroborative information, clinical examination, neuropsychological testing, and continual reassessment are means to determine severity of dysfunction and track clinical course and resolution of symptoms. Persistence of symptoms beyond initial impact may require medication trials or adjustments that are tailored to the patient's medical history and/or neurocognitive rehabilitative techniques such as vestibular rehabilitation therapy to prevent progression of neurologic sequelae. Prolonged recovery of more than six months may require neurological consultation. CONCLUSION: Concussion management and treatment of vestibular and balance impairments in athletes should be assessed in a stepwise manner, from initial impact to resolution of symptoms. If symptoms are prolonged, impaired neuronal mechanisms or irreversible cerebral damage may underlie persistent symptoms and cognitive deficits seen in neurocognitive testing. Management protocols are currently focused on individualized assessment of neurocognitive assessment and comprehensive symptomatic evaluation (Reddy et al., 2008). It is widely accepted that neurocognitive and resolution of concussion-induced symptoms must be resolved prior to returning to sport or play and therefore, the athlete should be reassessed and treated until symptoms resolved.

Patient safety at handoff in rehabilitation medicine.

The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare has cited communication as the most frequent root cause in sentinel events, with failed patient handoffs playing a "role in an estimated 80% of serious preventable adverse events." Handoff, or transfer of patient care information, occurs formally and informally many times each day, within and between care teams, across all levels of care providers and between institutions. Handoff at rehabilitation admission is at a particularly high risk for communication failure, potentially affecting patient safety. This review of the patient handoff literature discusses the importance of safe handoff, the information to be included, barriers to handoff, and improvement methodologies.

The therapeutic efficacy of two antibabesial strategies against Babesia gibsoni.

Various combination strategies for treating Babesia gibsoni have been described. However, relapses after administering some combinations of antibabesial drugs and the presence of drug-resistant B. gibsoni still pose significant challenges to veterinarians. To compare the efficacy of a combination of clindamycin, diminazene, and imidocarb (CDI) to that of a combination of atovaquone and azithromycin (AA) for the treatment of B. gibsoni and to correlate drug efficacy with B. gibsoni mutations, 30 client-owned dogs with natural B. gibsoni infections were collected in the study. 17 dogs were treated with AA, and 13 dogs were treated with CDI combination. Hematological parameters were recorded on the day that the dogs were presented for treatment and during treatment. To detect the parasitic DNA, the B. gibsoni 18S rRNA gene was amplified, and to analyze the mutations, the cytochrome b (CYTb) gene was sequenced. The therapy duration for all of the dogs that recovered was 23.3±7.8 days in the AA group and 41.7±12.4 days in the CDI group. Nine of the 17 dogs in the AA group and 11 of the 13 dogs in the CDI group completely recovered. Seven dogs in the AA group and 2 dogs in the CDI group relapsed after treatment. The M121I mutation in the B. gibsoni CYTb gene was detected in all of the samples that were collected from AA-relapsed and AA-nonremission dogs. The dogs in the CDI group exhibited higher recovery rates and lower relapse rates during treatment for B. gibsoni infection. In addition, the detected M121I mutation was associated with AA treatment. The CDI combination is a promising alternative treatment strategy for B. gibsoni.

Sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1) mutations in Paget's disease of bone from the United States.

Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is a localized bone disease characterized by excessive bone resorption due to overactive osteoclasts. Seven genetic loci (PDB1-PDB7) have been reported for late-onset PDB. PDB3 is the only locus where a gene, sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1), has been identified. Mutations in SQSTM1 have been associated with both sporadic and hereditary PDB in different populations. However, the SQSTM1 mutation frequency in PDB patients from a more heterogeneous population has never been reported. To investigate this, we determined the frequency of mutations in patients from the United States. Blood was collected from sporadic and hereditary PDB patients in the United States. DNA was isolated from whole blood or from serum. The SQSTM1 sequence was determined for exons and intron/exon junctions from whole blood and serum. A total of 112 (39 hereditary, 73 sporadic) samples were collected. Eight mutations were found in hereditary PDB patients, for a mutation frequency of 20.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.8-35.5%) and did not differ significantly from mutation rates observed in studies in Canada, Great Britain, and The Netherlands. No mutations were found in sporadic patients, for a frequency of 0% (95% CI 0.0-5.0%), which was statistically significantly lower than the mutation rates previously observed in populations from Australia (P = 0.009), Canada (P = 0.008), Great Britain (P = 0.02), and France (P = 0.04) but not compared to rates from Belgium, The Netherlands, and Italy. Four out of five families with the P392L mutation carried it on the H2 haplotype. Mutations in SQSTM1 seem to contribute to the pathogenesis of PDB in hereditary, but not sporadic, patients in the United States.