Concussion is a group of symptoms that result from an injury
to the brain. The injury may occur
after impact to the brain from an outside force or the brain striking the inner
skull. It affects between 1.6 and
3 million American athletes each year.
The American Academy of Neurology first published a series
of guidelines for the evaluation and management of concussion in athletes in
1997. Over the course of the past
15 years much has been learned on this vital topic.
Last week, this same group published the most comprehensive
scientific review of concussion in sports that has ever been undertaken. This
multi-disciplinary study looked at over 14,000 published studies from 1955 to
2012. The reviewers included neurologists, psychologists, physiatrists and
athletic trainers.
The original guidelines were based on a grading system with
the mildest being a grade 1 and most severe grade 3. The current information shows that each patient who suffers
a concussion has to be treated individually.
Some of the most important conclusions from the study
include:
• The presence of a licensed health care professional with
experience diagnosing and treating concussion at an athletic event improved
early recognition and recovery.
• A concussed athlete was at greatest risk for a second
concussion within 10 days of the first injury.
• Body checking in youth hockey, hockey players wearing half
visors, quarterbacks and any athlete playing on artificial turf is more
susceptible to having a prolonged recovery period after
concussion.
• Male athletes playing football, Australian rugby and hockey
were most susceptible, while soccer and basketball had the highest risk for
females.
“The most
effective treatment for concussion continues to be removal from the game as
soon as a concussion is suspected,” said Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, one of the
principal authors of the study.
This review not only presents new information but confirms
the slogan that “when in doubt, sit it out.”
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