Using Rehabilitation along the Pediatric Trauma Continuum as a Strategy to Define Outcomes in Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. It impacts all levels of care in our medical system. Despite numerous published guidelines and significant resources dedicated to acute management of pediatric TBI, most patients who are discharged have unrecognized or unmet needs at 6, 12, and 24 months after injury. Rehabilitation services have been developed to address the gap in both the inpatient and outpatient setting, though access to them is variable across the country. This article examines the importance of rehabilitation in the management and outcome of pediatric TBI, recognizing that there is substantial room for growth in rehabilitation services, as well as a need for further research that examines the benefits of rehabilitation on outcomes in all categories of TBI and at many time points along the continuum of care.