Concussion has been a major issue in the United States in recent times. In August this year the National Football League (NFL) agreed a $765 million settlement with 4,500 retired players with concussion-related brain injuries. The athletes had accused the NFL of covering up the dangers of concussion and returning players to the field to soon.
Against this backdrop, the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) published its own position statement on concussion in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in January 2013. The purpose was to provide doctors with the best possible evidence base for the evaluation and management of sports concussion.
The statement provides a number of important conclusions. It is recommended that athletes, coaches, officials and parents need to be educated on the signs and symptoms of concussion. It is also critical that athletes are forthcoming about their symptoms as this can be the only detectable diagnostic factor. Finally, no athlete diagnosed with concussion should return to play on the same day, or while still experiencing symptoms.
Reference
Harmon, et al. (2013) American Medical Society for Sports Medicine position statement: concussion in sport. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 47, 15-26.
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