Mount St. Mary Academy Athletic Concussion Policy

Mount St. Mary Academy Athletic Concussion Policy

This is a Concussion Management Plan that Mount St. Mary Academy will follow when any student athlete suffers a head injury.

1. Student will be immediately removed from the contest /class and initially evaluated by the Athletic Trainer or School Nurse.
2. The Athletic Director will send a written report to the agency that we contract with to provide our athletic trainers.
3. The student will be required to have a physician’s clearance before returning to sports/PE.
4. Once the player has received medical clearance, she will then follow the “Return to Play Policy” (Appendix A).

Appendix A

Concussion Management Protocol

This policy follows guidelines and procedures outlined in consensus statement from 3rd International Conference on Concussion in Sport held in Zurich 2008, as well as specific procedures for ImPACT Concussion testing.

A concussion is defined as a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain, induced by traumatic biomechanical forces. Several common features that incorporate clinical, pathologic and biomechanical injury constructs that may be utilized in defining the nature of a concussive head injury:

(1) Concussion may be caused by either a direct blow to the head, face, neck or elsewhere on the body with an “impulsive” force transmitted to the head.

(2) Concussion typically results in a rapid onset of short-lived impairment of neurological function that resolves spontaneously.

(3) Concussion may result in neuropathological changes, but the acute clinical symptoms largely reflect a functional disturbance rather than a structural injury.

(4) Concussion results in a graded set of clinical symptoms that may or may not involve loss of consciousness. Resolution of the clinical and cognitive symptoms typically follows a sequential course; however, it is important to note that, in a small percentage of cases, post-concussive symptoms may be prolonged.

(5) No abnormality on standard structural neuroimaging studies is seen in concussion.

Any athlete that shows any signs or symptoms of concussion will be removed from play and assessed by healthcare professional. According to the consensus statement of the 2008 Zurich Conference, the suspected diagnosis of a concussion can include one or more of the following clinical domains:

a. Symptoms: somatic (eg, headache), cognitive (eg, feeling like in a fog) and/or emotional symptoms (eg lability)

b. Physical Signs (eg, loss of consciousness, amnesia)

c. Behavioral changes (eg irritability)

d. Cognitive impairment (eg, slowed reaction times)

e. Sleep disturbance (eg, drowsiness)

If any one or more of these components is present, a concussion should be suspected and the appropriate management strategy instituted.

Once first aid issues are addressed, an assessment of the concussive injury should be made using the SCAT 2. The post injury results will be compared to the baseline SCAT 2, if available. Athletes with a suspected concussion will not be able to return to play that same day. These athletes should not be left alone and will be monitored after 15 and 30 minutes and every 30 minutes thereafter until the end of the event or until EMS is determined to be necessary. EMS should be activated for those athletes who suffer loss of consciousness, have a suspected neck injury or for those athletes whose symptoms worsen over a 15 or 30 minute time frame.

For those athletes not needing EMS the parent/guardian must be contacted and a head injury sheet will be given to the athlete. An athlete with a suspected concussion should not drive home. The athletes that do not seek treatment in the emergency room, must be seen by a physician and present documentation to the school nurse.

Concussions will be managed symptomatically and through medical assessment. During the time that an athlete is symptomatic and recovering from injury, it is important to emphasize both physical and cognitive rest, as outlined in Appendix B. Activities that require concentration and attention (eg, scholastic work, video games, text messaging, etc.) may exacerbate symptoms and possibly delay recovery. If necessary, accommodations should be made for student-athletes whose symptoms worsen while in school or become so severe that an athlete is unable to complete studies.

Return To Play Protocol

Once an athlete is asymptomatic for 24 hours and has medical clearance from a physician, as authorized by the particular schools policy, the following return to play protocol will be followed:

Phase 1:Light aerobic exercise – walking, swimming, or stationary bike without resistance

Phase 2:Sport specific exercise – skating drills in ice hockey, running drills – no head impact activities

Phase 3:Non-contact training drills – progress to more complex training drills, may start progressive resistance training

Phase 4:Full contact practice – athlete must receive final medical clearance as determined by the school physician to begin this phase

Phase 5:Return to play – normal game play

As recommended by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHAA), this progression should be completed over 5-10 days and the athlete must have completed all five phases of the protocol in order to return to normal game play. The athlete must remain asymptomatic to progress to the next level. In the event that symptoms return, the athlete must stop activity. They may return to previous phase of the protocol when asymptomatic for 24 hours. When considering the return to play protocol, the athlete should be asymptomatic without the use of pharmacological agents/ medications that may affect or modify their symptoms.

Mount St. Mary Academy Athletic Concussion Policy

Signoff

Parent Agreement: I ______have read the Parent Concussion and Head Injury Information and understand what a concussion is and how it may be caused. I also understand the common signs, symptoms, and behaviors. I agree that my child must be removed from practice/play if a concussion is suspected. I understand that it is my responsibility to seek medical treatment if a suspected concussion is reported to me. I understand that my child cannot return to practice/play until providing written clearance from an appropriate health care provider to his/her coach. I understand the possible consequences of my child returning to practice/play too soon.

Parent/Guardian Signature______

Date:

Athlete Agreement: I______have read the Athlete Concussion and Head Injury Information and understand what a concussion is and how it may be caused. I understand the importance of reporting a suspected concussion to my coaches and my parents/guardian. I understand that I must be removed from practice/play if a concussion is suspected. I understand that I must provide written clearance from an appropriate health care provider to my coach before returning to practice/play. I understand the possible consequence of returning to practice/play too soon and that my brain needs time to heal.

Athlete Signature______

Date: