Overview
- A BMJ Open retrospective cohort of 425,158 Ontario adults found an approximately 50% increase in subsequent traffic crash risk following a concussion.
- The elevated danger was greatest during the first four weeks after diagnosis and applied to pedestrians as well as drivers.
- Overall risk rose further among people with repeated concussions recorded in their medical histories.
- One in 13 concussion patients were later injured in a traffic crash, contributing to 1,633 ambulance calls, 59,978 hospital days and an estimated $835 million in medical costs.
- Researchers stress the study cannot prove causation and advise treating symptoms and avoiding high-speed, late-night or bad-weather trips early in recovery, with clinicians counseling patients on road safety.