Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injury: Protect Your Athletes

With this weeks sad news about the death of Ohio State football player Kosta Karageorge, who suffered from multiple concussions,  we want to take this Medical Minute to  touch on concussion and traumatic brain injuries prevention and education.

New legislation in Connecticut requires professionals working with athletes-(coaches, trainers, phys-ed teachers, etc.) and anyone working with student athletes, league sports or professional athletes to under-go concussion and head trauma training on proper diagnosing, treating and educating to best serve their  athletes.

Concussion symptoms; or what you and your child’s physician should look for if your child receives a head injury

Providers should take a history of the accident and find out the following:

• Has there been a loss of consciousness
• Where (on the head) the injury took place
• Has there been nausea or vomiting prior to seeing the doctor
• Has the athlete experienced amnesia, either retrograde or anterograde

A neurological exam should also accompany the concussion screening,  during which the provider checks for loss of coordination,  watches for difficulty in answering simple factual questions and  observes the patient for confusion, fatigue or lethargy.

The patient should be observed over the next few days for these signs. Any symptoms such as increased confusion, slurred speech, excessive sleep or ongoing lethargy are signs that your athlete may have suffered a concussion.

The good news is that the majority of head blows do not result in concussion. If, after a physical exam, the patient is not exhibiting the above concussion symptoms,  the accepted protocol is to take a few days off and then resume their normal activity.

If you have a child or loved one who has received a blow to the head and you are unsure of whether this is a concussion or not, please don’t hesitate to come in and let one of our providers conduct an exam.

We are at 1030 Boulevard in West Hartford, are open 7 days per week, no appointment necessary, or call us at 860-986-6440