Aguirre Legal Nurse Consulting, PLLC
  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Contact
  • Blog

Back To School Concussion Screenings

8/11/2015

1 Comment

 
It will soon be back to school time, and many public schools are posting the message "No Shots, No School" on their reader boards. This is no surprise, since public schools require all children to be up to date on vaccinations, with the exception of religious declination, before the school year begins. What may be surprising, however, is a new trend that partners schools with healthcare facilities in order to promote baseline concussion screenings for student athletes. This is in part a result of growing concern over the increasing number of head injuries occurring in our young athletes and the potentially dangerous and detrimental effects of undiagnosed head injuries. 

The CDC estimates that approximately 1.6 million to 3.8 million sports-related concussions occur annually in the United States. A concussion is caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to either the head or the body that causes the brain to move rapidly inside the skull. This sudden movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, stretching and damaging the brain cells and creating chemical changes. 

A concussion may occur with or without a loss of consciousness. Signs and symptoms can show up right after the injury or may not be noticed until days or weeks later. Standard neuroimaging studies are typically normal; therefore, concussion is a clinical diagnosis. 
The most common symptom is headache. However, children and teens with concussion may exhibit any of the following: 
  • Can’t recall events prior to or after a hit or fall
  • Appears dazed or stunned
  • Forgets an instruction, is confused about an assignment or position, or is unsure of the game, score, or opponent
  • Moves clumsily
  • Answers questions slowly
  • Mood, behavior, or personality changes
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Balance problems or dizziness
  • Double or blurry vision, bothered by light or noise
  • Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy
  • Confusion, or difficulty with concentration and memory
  • Just not “feeling right,” or “feeling down”
Picture
Concussions that are unrecognized or are mismanaged increase the risk of developing a potentially catastrophic sequelae known as Second Impact Syndrome. This results when an athlete has not fully recovered from an initial concussion before sustaining a subsequent concussive injury. This in turn causes diffuse brain swelling and severe, permanent neurological dysfunction or death. This type of repetitive head trauma can occur from participation in contact sports such as boxing, football and/or ice hockey.

Pre-season concussion screenings are relatively new to youth sports, but obtaining pre-injury baseline data on athletes who engage in contact sports can make sideline assessment more accurate. Concussion screenings are typically a short computerized test that measures selected brain processes, such as word description and memory. It also measures processing speed and reaction time. The scores obtained at completion establishes each athlete's baseline score. Without establishing an individual's baseline, the athlete's post-injury performance on assessment must be interpreted by comparison with a generalized "normal" based on a large population sample. In the event, an athlete sustains a concussion during the season, he or she can take a re-test and the scores will be compared to the baseline. These computerized tests do not diagnose concussion, however they can be helpful during the management or treatment of a concussion. The changes or improvements in scores over time can assist in evaluating progress toward recovery. 

The following is a list of some of the computerized concussion screening programs available:
  • Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT)
  • King-Devick Test for Concussions
  • Computerized Cognitive Assessment Tool (CCAT)
  • Concussion Resolution Index (CRI)

What should you do if you think your child has a concussion? SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION RIGHT AWAY. A health care professional will be able to decide how serious the concussion is and when it is safe for your child to return to regular activities, including sports. 

1 Comment
bestessay link
8/6/2020 03:28:04 am

Going back to school is going to be hard. The new normal is going to make us all feel a lot of hard things from now on. Believe me, this has massive effects on how we live our lives. It is best if we can turn our attentions to the things that actually make us happy. I understand that not everyone views this the same, and I am here so that I can make it up to both my parents.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Risk-free Guarantee
We guarantee you will be satisfied with the quality of work product you receive, or we will rework it to meet your expectations.

Proudly powered by Weebly