Guidance for Clinicians
Please note that Connectivity does not provide medical advice for individuals and all information provided is general advice for the management of traumatic brain injury (TBI) based on current best practice. For specific advice relating to a patient please follow normal local referral pathways.
Clinical care immediately following a moderate to severe TBI occurs within the context of a hospital – this may be a remote, rural, regional or tertiary referral centre. The patient with a moderate to severe TBI should be referred to the highest and most appropriate level of care available in discussion with the Neurosurgical accepting team.
Rehabilitation services may be available based upon referral from the primary healthcare provider and rehabilitation will likely commence during the acute phase of hospital admission and may continue upon release. Access to support services can be coordinated by treating teams whilst an inpatient, or GP’s as an outpatient, and there are a number of support organisations that can provide further resources and connection with other people with lived experience of TBI.
Clinical care following a mild TBI or concussion can be provided through an Emergency Department at a hospital or a clinician with training in concussions assessment and management such as GP’s or a sports medicine doctor. There are currently a range of guidelines that help standardise care following a mild TBI or concussion, depending on where you are located in Australia.
A considerable proportion of the available information is focused around concussion experienced while playing sport. A number of sporting codes have their own concussion guidelines. While this information can be relevant for concussion or mild TBI experienced from other causes such as a motor vehicle crash or a fall, some elements of the information are not relevant. Most states and territories will provide guidelines on the initial management of TBI. An example of this can be found through the following link Closed Head Injury in Adults – Initial Management (nsw.gov.au) These documents provide helpful algorithms to aid in decision making.
A key aim of Connectivity is to work towards the development of nationally consistent best practise guidelines for management and treatment of mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI), also referred to as concussion.
Connectivity is also committed to ensuring that the latest research will be available to ensure an evidence-base for clinical decision-making. We aim to develop educational resources for clinicians, rehabilitation and allied health care professionals in order to help improve outcomes for people who have experienced TBI of all severities.
To view current mild TBI guidelines view the Health Guidelines section of our website.