Tonight during the Steelers - Browns game the NFL will air a new PSA aimed at increasing awareness among players, coaches and parents about the importance of recognizing the symptoms of concussion and responding appropriately. The NFL has received a lot of criticism recently about past practices related to the management of concussion, but this is a very positive step. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done to educate those involved in all sporting activities about the danger on repeated concussion. If a young athlete, after suffering a concussion, can be removed from play and the from risk of a second concussion, he/she can avoid the danger of more serious and long-term injury. I applaud the NFL for release of this PSA and hope that other sporting organizations will follow suit.
Working in sports concussion management we often hear about an athlete who has a concussion and is returned to the same contest where a second concussion is sustained.In many of these cases the effect on the athlete is significant, sometimes devastating.The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and others in the medical community are doing their best to educate coaches, athletic trainers, athletes and parents about the symptoms of concussion and the importance of early intervention.The most important part of that intervention is removing the athlete from the contest.
The CDC website for coaches includes the following statement: “If you think your athlete has sustained a concussion… take him/her out of play, and seek the advice of a health care professional experienced in evaluating for concussion. “It also admonishes the coach “don’t assess it [the concussion] yourself… seek the advice of a health care professional.”Along with this advice the CDC provides lots of information and resources for coaches including posters and guidelines to help coaches recognize a concussion.
While the coaches are often in the best position to first observe the symptoms of concussion in their players, they should not be left alone with this responsibility.Other team staff, players, parents and other spectators can participate in the process of identifying the symptoms of concussion.The risk of further injury, including the rare condition referred to as second impact syndrome, make the identification of concussion crucial so that the athlete can be removed from the game until the seriousness of the symptoms can be assessed.
The CDC website also includes the following statement “It's better to miss one game than the whole season”
