Concussion
The most widely accepted definition of "concussion" is an incident characterized by an immediate or post-traumatic alteration of consciousness, disturbance of vision, equilibrium (balance), etc. Some sports have a higher risk of concussion. These include: football, soccer, wrestling, ice hockey, gymnastics and rugby to name a few.
Symptoms:
- Brief loss of consciousness
- Disorientation
- Gait/ balance disturbances
- Amnesia
- Neck pain may be present
- Evaluation:
Rule out neck injury
- Assess level of orientation, some questions to ask: what month, date, year is it?
- what team are we playing?
- who is your opponent today?
- which quarter is it?
Treatment:
- Removal from competition
- Periodic re-evaluation of SYMPTOMS
- Emergency medical evaluation with MRI or cat scan if unconsciousness persists or is prolonged
- SYMPTOMS persisting longer than 48-72 hours generally warrant imaging
Prevention:
- Return to play at recommendation of healthcare professional
- Wear protective gear specific to sport
- Maintain proper pre-post game conditioning
- Proper sport technique
