INSIDE the Blue Tent NFL Concussion Testing Explained

>> YOUR LINK HERE: ___ http://youtube.com/watch?v=pex6DIx8Cek

Dr. Ebraheim’s educational animated video describes the concussion injury in athletes. All you need to know. • What is concussion? • A concussion is a transient impairment of the brain function occurring due to a violent shake of the brain. Since it is a functional and not a structural impairment, CT scan will be normal. • In the US alone, sports injuries lead to 1.6-3.8 million concussions annually. In head to head collisions in football, a player’s head may experience G forces ranging from 100-190 Gs. The G force and rapid deceleration speeds exerted on the brain are similar to being hit on the head with a sledgehammer. • A sudden blow to the head leads to bouncing of the brain back and forth in the skull cavity. This shaking motion of the brain within the skull cavity may lead to concussion. Only 10% of concussions are associated with loss of consciousness. Therefore, loss of consciousness is not necessary to diagnose a concussion. • Patient suffering a concussion may experience one or more of the following symptoms: • •Headache dizziness (being the most common) •Confusion •Imbalance •loss of consciousness •vomiting •Convulsions or seizures. • Other symptoms may include: • •amnesia •slurred speech •feeling sluggish or foggy •double or blurry vision •light sensitivity •sensitivity to noise •Decreased playing ability and patient may report that that he is not feeling alright. • First step in management includes assessing airway, breathing and circulation. The cervical spine should be assessed in case of injury. Assessment of sensory and motor functions is necessary. • Diagnosing a concussion depends on careful clinical examination and asking questions to assess the patient’s attention, memory, orientation, concentration , balance and reaction time. It is important to mention that once a player is diagnosed with concussion, the player must not return to play. • Concussion assessment tool such as the Standard Assessment of the Concussion test (SAC) or immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT) may be used on the sidelines and at later follow ups to assess the patient’s brain function and compare to pre-injury scores. It is worth noting that the SAC test does not include a neurological exam and does not measure reaction time, coordination or balance. When concussion assessment tools are not available on the sidelines, the following questions can be used to quickly assess orientation, anterograde and retrograde amnesia, concentration and the patient’s ability to recall word lists. • It is worth noting that remote memory loss is more worrisome than recent memory loss. • Patients who demonstrate any of the following signs must be taken to the emergency room immediately: • •worsening headaches •repeated vomiting •seizures or convulsions • •prolonged loss of consciousness •focal neurological signs •disorientation to time, place or person •neck pain •increasing irritability and confusion •upper or lower limb weakness or numbness. • Red flags that may indicate the need to acquire head imaging such as CT scan include: • •Prolonged loss of consciousness. •Post-traumatic amnesia • •Persistently altered mental status •Focal neurological deficits • •Continued deteriorations of clinical signs. • It is important to remember that the following are contraindications to return to play: • •Symptoms lasting more than 15 minutes •Prior concussion within the same season •loss of consciousness •amnesia • •development of complications such as post-concussion syndrome • •recurrence of symptoms on exertion. • Complications include : • 1.Second impact syndrome • 2.Post-concussion syndrome • 3.Epidural bleeding • 4.Cumulative effects • Even though players may be eager to return to the game quickly, they must be advised to follow a stepwise strategy in order to achieve a complete recovery and avoid potentially life-threatening complications. The recovery strategy should include the following steps: • 1-A period of complete physical and mental rest until the symptoms subside. • 2-This is to be followed by return to light aerobic activities • 3-Sports specific training but still no contact is allowed. • 4-Noncontact drills are then added with some resistance but still no contact • 5-This is followed by full contact drills and finally return to play is permitted • Concussions must be taken seriously and one must have a low threshold of suspicion on the sidelined in order to prevent potentially life-threatening complications. • Become a friend on facebook: • / drebraheim • Follow me on twitter: • https://twitter.com/#!/DrEbraheim_UTMC • Donate to the University of Toledo Foundation Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Endowed Chair Fund: • https://www.utfoundation.org/foundati...

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