LAUSR

OBJECTIVE To estimate the direct costs of pediatric postconcussive syndrome (PCS). DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Subspecialty sports medicine clinics of a large pediatric tertiary care network in the United States. PATIENTS One hundred fifty-four patients aged 5 to 18 years with PCS, evaluated between 2010 and 2011. ASSESSMENT OF INDEPENDENT VARIABLES Direct costs included visits to sports medicine clinic, visio-vestibular therapy, homebound education, subspecialist referral, and prescription-only medications (amantadine and amitriptyline), all measured beginning at 28 days after injury. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Postconcussive syndrome was defined as persistence beyond 28 days from injury. RESULTS The cost incurred by each PCS patient for sports medicine visits was $1575, for visio-vestibular therapy was $985, for homebound tutoring was $55, for prescription medications was $22, and for subspecialist referral was $120, totaling $3557 per patient, with a 95% confidence interval range of $2886 to $4257. CONCLUSIONS Given the high economic costs of PCS determined in this study, therapies that mitigate this syndrome may have the potential to be cost-effective and even cost saving.