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Pediatrics

Poster Gallery

1139 - Riboflavin in the Management of Pediatric Concussion

Friday, February 23, 2024
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM EDT
Objectives: Given the prevalence of posttraumatic headache (PTH) in pediatric concussion patients, research has examined risk factors and headache subtypes of these individuals1,2. Consensus on pharmaceutical interventions for PTH, particularly in the pediatric population, is less studied than other management approaches3. Kuczynksi et al. demonstrated the value of individualized pharmaceutical approaches based on headache subtypes in pediatrics, though lacked examination of supplements such as riboflavin4. Riboflavin is increasingly popular for concussion patients given its precedent in treating migraine headaches, decreasing recovery days in sports-related concussion, and its general safety5,6,7. The purpose of this study is to map risk factors and headache characteristics of pediatric populations that warranted riboflavin prescription.

Design: This is a retrospective chart review of adolescents (n = 145) of the ages 8-14 presenting for concussion over a two year period. Characteristics of headache were analyzed between riboflavin and non-riboflavin groups.

Results: Forty-two of the 132 who reported headache with concussion were prescribed riboflavin. Individuals with past medical history of headache, anxiety, and depression were given riboflavin more frequently. Those with more constant and severe headache profiles were more likely to be prescribed riboflavin. Respectively, the riboflavin vs. non-riboflavin groups comparison were as follows: a mean 48.53 vs. 24.40 and a range of 1-1000 vs. 1-164 of headache days, and a mean 56.75 vs. 24.40 and range of 7-189 vs. 7-164 return to play days.

Conclusions: Identifying risk factors and classifying headache profiles after concussion helps mitigate prolonged effects of concussion and guides clinical management for PTH in adolescents4. Our study shows that individuals with increased severity, duration, and persisting quality of headache were more likely to receive riboflavin as adjunctive therapy in their management. Overall, the pediatric population with posttraumatic symptoms deserves more randomized controlled studies on supplements and alternative therapies for concussion.