SPORTS MEDICINE: SAFETY AND SCHOOL ATHLETICS: CAN YOU RECOGNIZE A CONCUSSION?

The NCAA estimates that one in five high school football players sustains a concussion each season. That's a total of more than 250,000 concussions annually.

Recognizing a concussion is crucial to knowing if an athlete should go back into the game. He or she first needs to fully recover. The type of concussion will determine how long to wait. It is extremely dangerous for anyone with a concussion to receive a second, even minor, blow to the head. This can cause "second impact syndrome" which has a 50 percent mortality rate.

Guidelines developed by the Brain Injury Association and the American Academy of Neurology define three grades of concussions:

Grade one:	The injured person is confused but conscious. Some signs are temporary confusion, being dazed, unable to think clearly, and having trouble following directions. These symptoms usually clear up in less than 15 minutes.
Grade two:	The injured person remains conscious, has similar symptoms to grade one, but also develops amnesia. These symptoms last for more than 15 minutes.
Grade three:	The injured person loses consciousness — even if only for a few seconds or longer.

If you suspect that your child has sustained a concussion during a game, consult a doctor. Don't be afraid to insist that your children stop playing if you think they have a concussion.

Be sure your young athletes:

· Wear proper equipment

· Have helmets that fit properly

· Use shock absorbing mouthpieces.

· Follow the rules of the game

Check that your child's coaches and trainers know the signs of concussion. Do they have the Standardized Assessment of Concussion Manual for Administration, Scoring, and Interpretation?