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Coaches - the first line of defense

. Posted in Coaches

Every school district and private youth sports organization should have a sideline protocol for dealing with head injuries, and all sideline personnel should practice the procedure. You don't want to have to think about what to do when facing a situation where time may not be on your side.

What to do if you SUSPECT an athlete may have suffered a concussion...

1) Remove the athlete from play immediately, and KEEP THEM OUT

2) Determine if emergency medical help is needed

An athletic trainer or other medical professional may assess the athlete using the Sideline Concussion Assessment Tool or SCAT 2 or pocket SCAT 2 and determine if emergency medical assistance is required. If not, re-assess the athlete every 5-10 minutes for several hours after the injury. Assign a staff member to stay with the athlete at all times to look for signs of deterioration.

3) Contact parent/guardian

Notify the athlete's parents/guardian that their child has suffered a possible concussion. Make sure they know the signs/symptoms, and that their onset may be hours or days after the injury occurred. If none are present, assign an adult to stay with the athlete for observation, and evaluate them every 10 minutes for several hours.

4) Only allow the athlete to return to play after they have obtained written authorization from a qualified medical professional and ensure that they are 100% symptom-free at rest and during exertion (see below) before allowing them to resume practice or play.

5) Verify that the athlete is 100% symptom-free before allowing them to participate in any activity. Coaches are sometimes the last to know. Ask parents/teammates if they're aware of any lingering symptoms such as a headache.

6) Institute a gradual return-to-play procedure after the athlete is medically cleared, and make sure they are symptom-free during exertion. If symptoms return during exercise, their brain may not be fully healed.

Related: Guidelines for care of the unconscious athlete

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