A consensus on concussion

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the consensus on concussion. In an effort to update and standardize protocols for the community involved in assessing and managing sports concussions, a group that includes everyone from physicians to athletic trainers, coaches, physical therapists, and school nurses, the past year has seen a spate of updated clinical guidelines from prominent authorities on concussion in sport. Awareness has facilitated a consensus on nearly all the significant concerns. American Academy of Neurology (AAN) guidelines emphasize that it is often important to have a comprehensive neurological examination. While many pediatricians, internists and family medicine physicians may be familiar with the new guidelines, it’s less clear how the athletic trainers, school nurses, and parents who are often making important history of concussion said they had hidden symptoms of a concussion to stay in a game, and 22% of all respondents indicated they would be unlikely or very unlikely to report concussion symptoms to a coach or athletic trainer, despite having had some education about concussion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved)