Heads Up: Brain Injury in Your Practice

Timely recognition and appropriate response is important is important in treating a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) or concussion. Physicians can play a key role in helping to prevent a concussion and to improve a patient's health outcomes through early diagnosis, management, and appropriate referral.

Individuals who sustain a concussion, including those who are not hospitalized or do not receive medical care, may experience long-term problems. Symptoms of a concussion may appear mild, but can lead to significant, life-long impairment affecting an individual's ability to function physically, cognitively, and psychologically.

CDC, in collaboration with an expert work group, has recently updated and revised the "Heads Up: Brain Injury in Your Practice" tool kit. This tool kit contains practical, easy-to-use clinical information and tools, including:

• a booklet with information on diagnosis and management of MTBI;
• a patient assessment tool (Acute Concussion Evaluation or ACE);
• a care plan to help guide a patient's recovery;
• fact sheets in English and Spanish on preventing concussion;
• a palm card for the on-field management of sports-related concussion; and
• a CD-ROM with downloadable kit materials and additional MTBI resources.

Information for Physicians

• Facts for Physicians booklet [PDF 4.58MB]
• Acute Concussion Evaluation (ACE) form [PDF 79KB]
• ACE Care Plan
  • Work version [PDF 88KB]
  • School version [PDF 91KB]
• Concussion in Sports palm card [PDF 138KB]

Information for Patients

• Heads Up: Preventing Concussion fact sheet
  • English [PDF 239KB]
  • Spanish [PDF 219KB]