Current concepts in the management of patients with so-called ‘minor’ or ‘mild’ head injury

‘Mild’ head injury is increasingly recognized as a potential source of physical and psychological disability, but there is a lack of consistency about the definition and management of these patients. We discuss and define the terms ‘mild’ and ‘minor’, the assessment of post-traumatic amnesia, and the relevance of other signs and symptoms.

Previous guidelines and recent evidence that a ‘mild’ injury may be followed by an intracranial complication are reviewed as a basis for recommendations for investigation and management in accident and emergency departments, for in-patient observation and for discharge planning.