RACGP
Australian Family Physician
Australian Family Physician

Advertising

Volume 39, Issue 1, January-February 2010

Sports related concussion Management in general practice

Michael Makdissi
Download article
Cite this article    BIBTEX    REFER    RIS

Background
Concussive injuries are common in many sports and recreational activities, especially those involving body contact, collisions or high speed. Over the past 8 years, international experts met on three occasions to address key issues in the understanding and management of concussion in sport; most recently in Zurich in November 2008. The consensus statement produced from this meeting provides an outline of up-to-date knowledge and best practice management guidelines on concussion in sport.
Objective
The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the key concepts from the Zurich consensus statement, including an understanding of concussion and an outline of potential risks and recommended management as applicable to the general practice setting.
Discussion
Concussion is thought to reflect a functional injury to the brain. Clinical features are typically short lived and resolve spontaneously, with the majority of affected individuals recovering within 10–14 days. However, complications can occur including prolonged symptoms or cognitive deficit, depression, and cumulative deterioration in brain function. The potential for adverse outcomes and the absence of direct measures of recovery following a concussive injury, make decisions regarding return to play a challenge. Clinical management includes confirming the diagnosis, differentiating concussion from structural head injury, estimating the severity of injury, and determining when the patient can return safely to competition. Players should return to play in a graded fashion after clinical features have resolved and cognitive function has returned to ‘normal’ on neuropsychological testing.

Download the PDF for the full article.


Download article PDF

Advertising

Australian Family Physician RACGP

Printed from Australian Family Physician - https://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2010/january-february/sports-related-concussion-management-in-general-pr
© The Australian College of General Practitioners www.racgp.org.au