GO PIES!!!!!! Oh no, head collision

What better time to talk about concussion than the Footy Finals? (also, only barracking for the Pies cuz I still have pride as a Victorian LOL - open to who I barrack for the long term → only recently got into footy a bit) Also notice how we Aussies can't even be bothered to say Magpies, nope, its just Pies 😂

But back to health awareness topic of the day → CONCUSSION IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN HIGH- CONTACT SPORTS AND NOT TO BE JOKED ABOUT. Personally, I can no longer watch a rugby game in peace thanks to my experience as a sports medic last year and all the near misses and actual head traumas and injuries and concussions and don't even get me started w spinal cord injuries (SC inj) 💀

So what do we actually mean by concussion?

- Medical def: altered mental function or level of awareness due to a head injury → considered a MTBI (mild traumatic brain injury), can be transient or more serious, +/- hosp px and admission

- (My) layman's def: head knock → concerning enough for me as a sports medic to rush onto the field or being frustrated at the empire for not letting me rush onto field. 

Why is it being increasingly discussed in the sports sphere? 

- Has pot. devastating long-term consequences incl. but not limited to CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), CTE dementia, and second-impact syndrome 

- CTE prognosis REAL BAD → 10-15 year mortality following initial symptom presentation...

- Nil cure for CTE, also a progressive degenerative disease 😢

- BOTH RECURRENT SUBACUTE (non-symptomatic) AND SX (OVERT) CONCUSSIONS CAN LEAD TO CTE 

- HAD 1 CONCUSSION? 2-4x MORE LIKELY TO HAVE ANOTHER ONE AT SOME POINT EVEN AFTER FULL RECOVERY (esp if return to play b/c full recovery made)

- Above reasons why sports participants (BOTH AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL) are at high risk of developing CTE as continuously exposed to incidents likely to result in head knocks 

- Although most make full recovery after one concussion, there is still 3% that goes on to develop CTE 😱💀

- > 2 concussions? Rec. that you stop playing the sport unless you wanna go professional...😨 (professional players are not immune to long term conseq of reccurent head traumas so don't understand this rule tbh but I'm also not into contact sports, I play tennis LOL...)

How to assess severity of concussion? 

Refer to SCAT5

Concerning symptoms? 

- confusion 

- loss of consciousness

- vision changes 

- nausea and vomiting 

- drowsiness

- inability to stand up 

- wobbling

- memory loss 

- severe headache 

- head and neck pain 

HOWEVER NO SX DOESN'T MEAN NOT CONCERNING → MOST HEAD TRAUMA-RELATED DEATHS HAD UNDIAGNOSED PREV BRAIN TRAUMA

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T RUSH RETURNING BACK TO PLAY FOR YOUR HEALTH AND YOUR LOVED ONES MENTAL HEALTH