Australia and New Zealand issue their first joint concussion guideline: key takeaways for practice

In January–February 2026, the Australian Journal of General Practice published a summary of the first Australian and New Zealand clinical practice guideline on the management of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussion, and of persisting symptoms after concussion. The guideline itself was accompanied by an article in the Medical Journal of Australia (2025). Barlow KM is listed first among the authors of the summary; the document covers adults and children and was developed with the involvement of multidisciplinary specialists and patient representatives. The aim is to reduce variation in how people are helped across different settings.

The guideline contains 119 recommendations and 27 practice points. The summary for family doctors, who are the first point of contact, describes the following.

What the summary recommends

• Strict bed rest is ineffective. Normal everyday activity should continue with breaks, and physical exertion should be reintroduced gradually.
• Symptoms usually resolve within a few weeks. If they last longer than 4 weeks, they are considered persisting.
• Persisting symptoms are not rare: according to the data cited in the article, in 30–40% of children and 20–50% of adults.
• In such cases it is ideal to involve a multidisciplinary team. The authors acknowledge that the availability of such services is uneven across regions, so the guideline advises the primary care doctor to coordinate help with the local resources that exist.
• Help depends on the symptoms: headache, cognitive difficulties, sleep and fatigue, mental health, balance and dizziness, and autonomic symptoms are considered separately.

What not to do

• Prescribing strict bed rest.
• Returning to sport before the symptoms have resolved and normal function has returned.

How Ukrainian readers should read this

This is not a Ukrainian protocol, and its provisions cannot be transferred without adaptation to our conditions. Still, the messages about gradually resuming activity instead of complete rest, and about involving specialists in good time if symptoms do not go away, are worth discussing with the doctor who is following you or your child after a concussion.

Sources

• A summary of the first Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Clinical Practice Guideline for the management of mild traumatic brain injury/concussion and persisting post-concussion symptoms. Aust J Gen Pract 2026;55(1–2):29–35
• DOI of the AJGP article: 10.31128/AJGP-08-25-7801

This material is for information only and does not replace consultation with a doctor or psychologist. Self-medication can be harmful to your health.