A person does not need to be knocked out (lose consciousness) to have had a concussion. Common symptoms include:
Headaches or head pressure |
Easily upset or angered |
Dizziness | Sadness |
Nausea and vomiting | Nervousness or anxiety |
Blurred or fuzzy vision | Feeling more emotional |
Sensitivity to light or sound | Sleeping more or sleeping less |
Balance problems | Having a hard time falling asleep |
Feeling tired or having no energy | Difficulty working on a computer |
Nothing thinking clearly | Difficulty reading |
Feeling slowed down | Difficulty learning new information |
Visual signs of a concussion may include:
Lying motionless on the playing surface | Blank or vacant stare |
Slow to get up after a direct or indirect hit to the head | Balance, gait difficulties, motor incoordination, stumbling slow labored movements |
Disorientation or confusion or inability to respond appropriately to questions | Facial injury after head trauma |
Clutching head |
If your child shows any of the following Red Flag Symptoms call 911 immediately:
Depending on the suspected severity of the injury, an initial assessment may be completed by emergency medical professionals or by an on-site licensed healthcare professional where available. In cases where an athlete loses consciousness or it is suspected an athlete might have a more severe head or spine injury, Emergency Medical Assessment by emergency medical professionals should take place (see “d” below). If a more severe injury is not suspected, the athlete should undergo Sideline Medical Assessment or Medical Assessment, depending on if there is a licensed healthcare professional present (see “e” below).
If an athlete is suspected of sustaining a more severe head or spine injury during a event or training, an ambulance should be called immediately to transfer the patient to the nearest emergency department for further Medical Assessment. Coaches, parents, teachers, trainers and officials should not make any effort to remove equipment or move the athlete until an ambulance has arrived. The athlete should not be left alone until the ambulance arrives. After the emergency medical services staff has completed the Emergency Medical Assessment, the athlete should be transferred to the nearest hospital for Medical Assessment. In the case of youth (under 18 years of age), the athlete’s parents should be contacted immediately to inform them of the athlete’s injury. For athletes over 18 years of age, their emergency contact person should be contacted if one has been provided
If an athlete is suspected of sustaining a concussion and there is no concern for a more serious head or spine injury, the player should be immediately removed from the field of play.
How: Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5 (SCAT5)
Child Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5 (Child SCAT5)
In order to provide comprehensive evaluation of athletes with a suspected concussion, the medical assessment must rule out more serious forms of traumatic brain and spine injuries, must rule out medical and neurological conditions that can present with concussion-like symptoms, and must make the diagnosis of concussion based on findings of the clinical history and physical examination and the evidence-based use of adjunctive tests as indicated (i.e CT scan). In addition to nurse practitioners, medical doctors[1] that are qualified to evaluate patients with a suspected concussion include: pediatricians; family medicine, sports medicine, emergency department, internal medicine, orthpaedic surgeons, and rehabilitation (physiatrists) physicians; neurologists; and neurosurgeons. In geographic regions of Canada with limited access to medical doctors (i.e. rural or northern communities), a licensed healthcare professional (i.e. nurse) with pre-arranged access to a medical doctor or nurse practitioner can facilitate this role. The medical assessment is responsible for determining whether the athlete has been diagnosed with a concussion or not. Athletes with a diagnosed concussion should be provided with a Medical Assessment Letter indicating a concussion has been diagnosed. Athletes that are determined to have not sustained a concussion must be provided with a Medical Assessment Letter indicating a concussion has not been diagnosed and the athlete can return to school, work and sports activities without restriction. [1] Medical doctors and nurse practitioners are the only healthcare professionals in Canada with licensed training and expertise to meet these needs; therefore all athletes with a suspected concussion should undergo evaluation by one of these professionals.