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Contusions, Abrasions, and Lacerations of the Head and Neck in Young Athletes

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Head and Neck Injuries in Young Athletes

Part of the book series: Contemporary Pediatric and Adolescent Sports Medicine ((PASM))

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Abstract

Contusions, abrasions, and lacerations to the head and neck are very common in youth sports, with most of these wounds being benign in nature and healing with no significant long-term adverse effects. Many are treated on the field or in training rooms, by coaches, athletic trainers, or parents. However, the head and neck regions of the body harbor many vital structures that can result in severe life-threatening injury, and concern regarding poor aesthetic outcome is warranted in many cases. Diligent evaluation by a skilled and experienced provider is often needed to ensure that there are no injuries to deeper structures and to monitor the young athlete over time for any worsening of the clinical status. This chapter reviews the standard assessment of these injuries, as well as the indications for specific management and subspecialty referral. Although life-threatening contusions or lacerations are rare, it is important that all of these injuries are approached in a systematic fashion and that the appropriate levels of care are called into play when necessary.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Andrew F. Miller MD & Andrea Stracciolini MD

  2. Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Andrea Stracciolini MD

  3. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Andrea Stracciolini MD

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  1. Andrew F. Miller MD
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Correspondence to Andrea Stracciolini MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Sports Medicine, Childrens Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Michael O'Brien

  2. The Micheli Center for Sports Injur , Waltham, Massachusetts, USA

    William P. Meehan III

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Miller, A.F., Stracciolini, A. (2016). Contusions, Abrasions, and Lacerations of the Head and Neck in Young Athletes. In: O'Brien, M., Meehan III, W. (eds) Head and Neck Injuries in Young Athletes. Contemporary Pediatric and Adolescent Sports Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23549-3_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23549-3_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-23548-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-23549-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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