Current evidence for pharmacological management of pediatric concussion: a systematic review
Hanalioglu D
Published in Child's Nervous System
Methodology
Systematic review of PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL and ClinicalTrials.gov plus citation tracing, using a modified PICO framework for search strategy and eligibility; risk of bias assessed with RoB-2 for randomised and ROBINS-I for non-randomised studies.
Key Findings
From 6,260 articles screened, 15 reports representing 13 studies (5 randomised trials, 1 prospective randomised cohort, 1 prospective cohort and 6 retrospective cohorts) met criteria, covering 16 drug interventions in 931 children with mild traumatic brain injury. Only amitriptyline (4 studies), ondansetron (3), melatonin (3), metoclopramide (2), magnesium (2) and topiramate (2) were tested more than once. All the randomised trials were small, with no more than 33 participants per group. The authors conclude the evidence supporting drug treatment of paediatric concussion is scarce and propose a framework for future collaborative research.
Conclusions
Evidence supporting pharmacological intervention in pediatric mTBI is scarce and trials are small.
Limitations
Most included studies were retrospective cohorts, all randomised trials had 33 or fewer participants per arm, and no intervention has been tested at a scale that would support firm clinical guidance.
Related Health Concerns
Study Details
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