ACTION PLAN
WHAT SHOULD I DO WHEN A CONCUSSION IS SUSPECTED?
No matter whether the athlete is a key member of the team or the game is about to end, an athlete with a suspected concussion should be immediately removed from play. To help you know how to respond, follow the Heads Up four-step action plan:
1. REMOVE THE ATHLETE FROM PLAY.
Look for signs and symptoms of a concussion if your athlete has experienced a bump or blow to the head or body. When in doubt, sit them out!
2. ENSURE THE AHTLETE IS EVALUATED BY AN APPROPRIATE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL.
Do not try to judge the severity of the injury yourself. Health care professionals have a number of methods they can use to assess the severity of concussions. As a coach, recording the following information can help health care professionals in assessing the athlete after the injury:
• Cause of the injury and force of the hit or blow to the head or body
• Any loss of consciousness (passed out/knocked out) and if so, for how long
• Any memory loss immediately following the injury
• Any seizures immediately following the injury
• Number of previous concussions (if any)
3. INFORM THE ATHLETE’S PARENTS OR GUARDIANS
Let them know about the possible concussion and give them the Heads Up fact sheet for parents. This fact sheet can help parents monitor the athlete for signs or symptoms that appear or get worse once the athlete is at home or returns to school.
4. KEEP THE ATHLETE OUT OF PLAY.
An athlete should be removed from play the day of the injury and until an appropriate health care provider* says he or she is symptom-free and it’s OK to return to play. After you remove an athlete with a suspected concussion from practice or play, the decision about return to practice or play is a medical decision.
*Health care provider means a Tennessee licensed medical doctor, osteopathic physician or a clinical neuropsychologist with concussion training
REFERENCES
1. Lovell MR, Collins MW, Iverson GL, Johnston KM, Bradley JP. Grade 1 or “ding” concussions in
high school athletes. The American Journal of Sports Medicine 2004; 32(1):47-54.
2. Institute of Medicine (US). Is soccer bad for children’s heads? Summary of the 10M Workshop
on Neuropsychological Consequences of Head Impact in Youth Soccer. Washington (DC): National
Academies Press, 2002.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sports-related recurrent brain injuries-United
States. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 1997; 46(10):224-27. Available
www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00046
702.
If you think your athlete has a concussion,
take him/her out of play and seek the advice of a health care professional experienced in evaluating for concussion.
For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/Concussion.