TY - JOUR PY - 2023// TI - Role of sex and gender in concussion outcome differences among patients presenting to the emergency department: a systematic review JO - Injury prevention A1 - Corrick, Shaina A1 - Lesyk, Nicholas A1 - Yang, Esther A1 - Campbell, Sandra A1 - Villa-Roel, Cristina A1 - Rowe, Brian H. SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aimed to identify research involving adults presenting to the emergency department (ED) with a concussion to document the reporting of sex and/or gender according to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) guidelines, the prevalence of sex and gender-based analysis (SGBA) and to summarise sex and/or gender-based differences in ED presentation, management and outcomes.

DESIGN: Systematic review.

METHODS: Electronic databases and grey literature were searched to identify studies that recruited adult patients with concussion from the ED. Two independent reviewers identified eligible studies, assessed quality and extracted data. A descriptive summary of the evidence was generated, and sex and/or gender reporting was examined for accuracy according to standardised criteria.

RESULTS: Overall, 126 studies were included in the analyses. A total of 80 (64%) studies reported sex and/or gender as demographic information, of which 51 (64%) included sex and/or gender in their analysis; however, 2 (3%) studies focused on an SGBA. Sex was more accurately reported in alignment with CIHR definitions than gender (94% vs 12%; p<0.0001). In total, 25 studies used an SGBA for outcomes of interest. Males and females experience different causes of concussion, 60% of studies documented that females had less frequent CT scanning while in the ED, and 57% of studies reported that postconcussion syndrome was more prevalent in females and women.

CONCLUSION: This systematic review highlighted that sex is reported more accurately than gender, approximately half of studies did not report either sex and/or gender as demographic information, and one-third of studies did not include SGBA. There were important sex and gender differences in the cause, ED presentation, management and outcomes of concussions. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021258613.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1353-8047 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/ip-2022-044822 ID - ref1 ER -