Increased risk of comorbid neck injury in females with a concussion-related ED visit

In a study of neck injury comorbidity in concussion-related emergency department (ED) visits in Ontario, Canada, females had significantly higher odds than males of sustaining a comorbid neck injury in a multitude of circumstances and stages of their lives. Sex differences in the rate of neck injury comorbidity among patients with a concussion-related ED visit are reported in an article published in Journal of Women's Health.

In the article, "Neck Injury Comorbidity in Concussion-Related Emergency Department Visits: A Population-Based Study of Sex Differences Across the Lifespan," the researchers highlight the important influences of sex and age on neck injury comorbidity in concussion-related ED visits. Data on ED visits in Ontario were extracted from the Canadian Institute for Health Information National Ambulatory Care Reporting System. The International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, code for concussion was used to identify patients with a first concussion-related ED visit between fiscal years 2002/03 and 2011/12 (inclusive). The article is coauthored by Mitchell Sutton, MSc and colleagues from the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-University Health Network, the University of Toronto, and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Toronto, Canada).

"The finding that females with a concussion-related ED visit have an increased risk of sustaining a comorbid neck injury has important clinical implications," states Susan G. Kornstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Women's Health and Executive Director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Institute for Women's Health, Richmond, VA. "In the ED setting, increased consideration of potential comorbid neck injuries, especially among females ages 5 to 49 years, is warranted to enable timely intervention and treatment."