Abstract for presentation at 6th World Congress on Brain Injury

Objective: To ensure all patients who present to The Alfred Hospital trauma unit, with injuries consistent with a mild head injury, have a cognitive assessment and education on strategies to manage any detected deficits.
Method: An increase in the number of referrals to occupational therapy for cognitive screening of patients who presented with a suspected loss of consciousness led to a review of the literature and the development of a occupational therapy clinical protocol for the management of mild head injuries. The literature supports the cognitive screening of all patients who present with mild head injury, as many of the patients will exhibit cognitive deficits too subtle to detect on neurological examination. The Neurobehavioural Cognitive Status Examination was selected as the tool for assessing these patients as it is a standardised assessment that can be completed at the patients bedside in a timely manner. Following this assessment the occupational therapist will complete a functional assessment to determine the impact of the cognitive and behavioural deficits upon their functional independence. The occupational therapist will provide both written and verbal education to the patient on the impact of the cognitive deficits and strategies on how to resume normal activities.
Results: The occupational therapy department, with support of staff working on the trauma unit, have raised the importance of cognitive screening of all mild head injured patients who present to the trauma unit. This increased awareness has resulted in improved management of this patient group, including acknowledging the short-term impact this injury has upon a patient.
Conclusion: The education of staff working within the trauma unit on the importance of referring all patients, who present with a history of head trauma, has resulted in that efficient management of this patient group which has resulted in more favourable functional outcomes for these patients.