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Understanding Concussions: Definitions, Symptoms, and Treatment Guidelines

Concussions are brain injuries caused by external forces, often resulting from impacts to the head or body. Understanding the severity of concussions is crucial; they range from mild to severe, with varying signs and recovery times. Key symptoms include headaches, confusion, dizziness, and more. Accurate evaluation is essential to determine the concussion grade and necessary treatment. While treatment options are limited, affected athletes must be removed from play and follow recovery protocols depending on the concussion severity. Awareness and proper management can help mitigate long-term impacts.

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Understanding Concussions: Definitions, Symptoms, and Treatment Guidelines

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  1. Concussions James Miller

  2. Introduction • There are many different definitions for a concussion but the basic accepted definition is an injury to the brain caused by an outside force. • The injury to the brain can be caused by a blow directly to the head, or anywhere else on the body due to an impulsive force that travels to the head.

  3. Introduction • There are three different levels of severity regarding concussions. • There is more than one chart that defines the signs and symptoms of the different levels of concussions, but I will be using the American Academy of Neurology chart.

  4. History • It is important to find out if the patient has a history of concussions due to the possible risk of multiple concussions. • Concussions occurring after the initial concussion can occur after lighter impacts, or more often in a shorter period of time. They can also take a longer amount of time to recover from and may have a less complete recovery.

  5. Signs and Symptoms • Headache. • Blurred vision. • Dizziness, or loss of balance. • Confusion, or memory loss. • Ringing in the ears. • Nausea. • Difficulty concentrating. • Loss of consciousness. • Irritability. • Photobobia. • Dizziness. • Sensitivity to noise.

  6. Concussion Grade Scale • Grade One • Mild confusion. • No loss of consciousness. • Original mental status returns in less than 15 minutes.

  7. Concussion Grade Scale • Grade Two • Mild confusion • No loss of consciousness, • Original mental status returns after 15 minutes.

  8. Concussion Grade Scale • Grade Three • - Any of the signs and symptoms along with a loss of consciousness.

  9. Evaluation • Evaluation of the injury involves determining the grade of concussion the patient has sustained. • The athletic trainer must also determine whether or not a head, neck, or back injury in likely. If a head, neck, or back injury is suspected the patient will need to be immobilized to prevent further damage.

  10. Evaluation • If a cervical spine injury is ruled out, the patient should then be thoroughly tested for any neurological or cognitive problems. • It is important to note the time that the injury happened so that the grade of the concussion can be determined. • The patient should then be referred to an advanced medical staff for testing and to decide when the patient can go back to their normal routine.

  11. Diagnosis • CT scans, MRIs, and electronystagmographies are tests used to determine how much damage has been done. • These tests are usually used in severe cases only, such as cases involving loss of consciousness or severe amnesia. • Post concussion syndrome can also be diagnosed.

  12. Treatment • There aren’t very many treatment options for concussion patients. • The athlete must be removed from play after experiencing a concussion. If it is grade one the athlete can return to play after the 15 minutes without symptoms. • If grade two the athlete can return to play only after they have one full week without any symptoms. • If grade three the athlete should not return to play until their symptoms subside for at least two full weeks. • The athlete should take pain-relievers if they have a head ache. • The athlete should be monitored to make sure that their symptoms go away in an appropriate amount of time.

  13. Works Cited • American Academy of Family Physicians. Concussions in Sports. Available at: http://familydoctor.org/458.xml. Accessed on 5/30/2006. • Sport Concussion Assessment Tool. AMAA Journal. 2006;18:2:1-2. Available from: EBSCO HOST, Athens, Ohio. Accessed 5/30/2006. • Guskiewicz K, Bruce S, Cantu R, Ferrara M, Kelly J, McMcrea M, Putukian M, McLeod T. National Athletic Trainer’s Association Position Statement: Management of Sport-Related Concussion. Journal of Athletic Training. 2004;39(3):280-297.

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