Concussion
Date: 09/06/2021
Hours: 1
Total hours: 124
Concussion is a serious injury which should be made aware of within all practices. This is an injury which can affect any one at any time regardless of sport or occupation. If a concussion was to occur and has been left unnoticed, this can cause further damage and complications on the brain, potentially leading to a decrease in quality of life (Mullally, 2017).
What is concussion?
This is usually caused by a direct blow to the head which causes trauma upon the brain with excessive movement in the skull. Concussions are known as a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and are a major health concern, specifically in an environment involving contact sports. A concussion will typically occur when there has been a serious collision involving a ‘shaking’ of the brain, where the brain is rapidly moved within the cranium (Gleadhill et al., 2014). A potential concussion requires immediate medical attention to prevent further fatal injury. Concussions are likely to occur with an athlete who is competing in a contact sport such as rugby, football or hockey etc.
Signs and symptoms:
It is essential that if a player is experiencing any symptoms of concussion, that they are immediately removed from the field of play for assessment and an ambulance should be called. A concussion can be identified through the following symptoms:
- Neck pain
- Blurred vision
- Severe/increasing headache
- Loss of/deteriorating consciousness
- Vomiting
- Dizziness/drowsiness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Difficulty remembering
With any symptoms present, it is important that immediate attention is given. Once in a safe environment, possible concussion can be assessed using a memory assessment known as a SCAT test (Echemendia et al, 2017). This involves asking the player questions relating to themselves, where they are or their sport. This could include asking which venue they are playing at, which half of the game they are currently playing in or if they know whether their team won their last game. This will help with diagnosis as these questions will test the players memory of facts that they are most likely to know. Failure to answer any of these questions correctly may suggest concussion (Davis, 2017).
Prevention of concussion:
The complete prevention of concussion within contact sport will not always be possible, however there are ways that the risk can be reduced. Equipment such as helmets, masks or mouth guards can help to provide protection and help reduce the risk of concussion, however this has not been proved to provide full protection (Benson et al, 2009). Protective headgear can help decrease potential for TBI after a collision by reducing the amount of direct impact on the players head, which also helps to decrease the collision within the skull (Daneshvar et al, 2011).
Protection using equipment is not enough to help prevent concussion alone. It is essential that coaches and players are educated on the importance of concussion and made aware of the signs, symptoms and the effects that it can have. Ensuring that coaches and players etc have a good knowledge, skill and ability to treat and recognise a potential concussion and being aware of the signs and symptoms, can help to prevent injury or increase recovery time. This can be done by completing a first aid course and doing further research into how players can be protected from concussion.
References:
Mullally, W. J. (2017). Concussion. The American journal of medicine, 130(8), 885-892.
Davis, G.A. (2017) Concussion Recognition Tool 5. British journal of sports medicine . Vol. 0, No. 1: 1.
Echemendia, R. J., Meeuwisse, W., McCrory, P., Davis, G. A., Putukian, M., Leddy, J., … & Herring, S. (2017). The sport concussion assessment tool 5th edition (SCAT5): background and rationale. British journal of sports medicine, 51(11), 848-850.