American Academy of Neurology: Treat Concussed Athletes Individually

Published: Mar 18, 2013
By John Gever , Senior Editor, MedPage Today

SAN DIEGO — Although athletes with suspected concussions should be benched immediately, their return to play may be handled flexibly according to symptoms and risk of further injury, according to new guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology.

The revision — the first in more than 15 years — does away with the previous version’s concussion grading system as well as a set 10-day period before a participant could return to active play, according to Christopher Giza, MD, of the University of California Los Angeles, and colleagues.

Full Story:  http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AAN/37926

Primary source: Neurology
Source reference: Giza C, et al “Summary of evidence-based guideline update: Evaluation and management of concussion in sports: Report of the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology” Neurology 2013; DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e31828d57dd.

Additional source: Neurology
Source reference: Alessi A, et al “Protecting the brain in sports: What do we really know?”Neurology 2013; DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e31828d9c13.