Introduction
International Ice Hockey Federation, Federation Internationale de Football Association, and the Medical Commission of the International Olympic Committee initially organized the conference on concussion in sports. The goal of the conference was to give recommendations on how to improve the safety and health of athletes who have suffered concussion injuries.
Symptoms of Acute Concussion
Sports concussion abnormalities primarily reflect functional disturbances that cannot be observed on standard structural neuroimaging studies that diagnose a structural injury. The diagnosis of acute concussion involves an assessment of various domains. The areas include; clinical symptoms, behavioral changes, sleep disturbances, cognitive impairment and physical signs. The presence of any one of these symptoms indicates a concussion. In some cases, concussion symptoms may be delayed for some hours and should be seen as an evolving injury in this stage.
A physician should evaluate any player showing signs of concussions on site using rapid concussion screening tests. However, the abbreviated tests should not replace neuropsychological tests like SCAT3 that assess memory function and attention that have proven to be practical and effective. Studies have shown that acute postural stability lasts approximately 72 hours after a sports-related concussion and can be a valuable addition to the assessment of concussion in athletes (McCrory et al. 47:). Standard orientation questions have been observed to be unreliable in these situations. The player should not be left alone after the injury and serial monitoring for deterioration over the initial couple of hours should be done.
Concussion Management
Concussion management should be the same for all athletes regardless of their participation levels. The recipe for concussion management includes physical and cognitive rest until acute symptoms resolve. Although a rest period of between 24 to 48 hours in the acute concussion phase may be beneficial, there is no concrete evidence concerning the effect of rest on sports concussions (McCrory et al. 47:). Due to lack of proof, the more appropriate approach is the return to regular social activities that do not result in exacerbation of symptoms. This is followed by a graded exertion before medical clearance and return to play.
Recovery
Up to 90% of concussions resolve in a period of between seven to ten days except in children and adolescents where the recovery period may be longer. Certified physicians in sports-related concussion should manage any recovery period in adults falling outside this window in a multidisciplinary manner.
Return to Play Protocol
An athlete should not be allowed to return to play on the same day the injury occurs. Most injuries are expected to recover over the previously stated period, and an athlete’s recovery is expected to recover progressively through a stepwise protocol. The stages follow each other in this order; no activity, light aerobic exercise, sport-specific exercise, non-contact drills, full-contact drills, and return to play. Each stage takes 24 hours, and the athlete should move to the next stage if asymptomatic at the current stage. However, if any concussion symptoms are observed in a particular stage, then the player should fall back to the previous stage and try again to progress after 24 hours.
Preventing Concussions in Sports
Sports should consider changing their rules to prevent to reduce incidences of head injuries, particularly where there is clear evidence linking an action to concussion incidences. The aggression of sports that makes it fun to watch should be differentiated from the violence that increases the risk of concussion. Finally, athletes, parents, coaches, and referees should be educated on ways to prevent and detect concussions.
Conclusion
Reading the article about the concussion on sports conference has taught me a few things. Sports concussions mostly reflect functional disturbances and cannot be diagnosed using standard structural neuroimaging studies. The symptoms of sports concussion can delay for several hours. Acute postural stability can last up to three days and can be used to assess concussion in athletes. Finally, children and adolescents take longer to recover from concussions than adults.
Works cited
McCrory, P., et al. “Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport: The 4th International Conference on Concussion in Sport Held in Zurich, November 2012.” British Journal of Sports Medicine 47.5 (2013): 250–258. Web.
