concussions

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Dec 10, 2015
845
63
Chautauqua County
After reading Eric's post, I thought this might be timely. I was going to put it in Coaching but parents need to know this stuff, too.

Concussions

In October 2017, a settlement involving undisclosed financial terms and extensive concussion protocol changes was reached in Langston v. Wake County Schools, a wrongful death lawsuit alleging negligence by coaches in prematurely returning to action a Rolesville High School (North Carolina) football player who suffered a head injury during practice. After sustaining a helmet-to-helmet hit during practice and exhibiting indicia of a concussion, Isaiah Langston was withheld from the rest of the practice and from team activities for the next two days, but his parents were never notified about the injury and on the third day after the incident, he was allowed to return to play by participating in pre-game drills without having obtained written medical clearance from a licensed healthcare professional as mandated by state law.

During the drills, Langston began complaining of severe head pain and he then collapsed, dying shortly thereafter. The case demonstrates the critical importance for schools, athletic administrators and coaches of complying with prevailing concussion protocol standards, including the requirements set forth in applicable state concussion laws, almost all of which 1) mandate immediate removal from play of an athlete suspected of having sustained a concussion, 2) bar same-day return to action, 3) permit return to play contingent upon written medical clearance from a licensed healthcare professional (specifically defined in each state statute) and 4) require some level of concussion education for athletic personnel, parents and student-athletes (specifically defined in each state law).

In July 2017, in Swank v. Valley Christian School, the Washington Supreme Court held that a full trial should be held in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Drew Swank, a high school football player who died after allegedly being prematurely returned to action following a head injury sustained during a game. On the Monday following the Friday night contest where the initial injury occurred, the Swank family’s doctor diagnosed a concussion and imposed “no practice, no play restrictions” on the young man. On Thursday, Swank told his mother that his headaches and other concussion symptoms had disappeared and that he wanted to play in the next day’s game. His mother contacted the doctor, convincing him to lift the restrictions without a follow-up exam, and based on that medical clearance – despite the fact that before and during the contest Swank appeared to his team’s coaches and athletic trainer to be sluggish, confused and still exhibiting indicia of a concussion – Swank was allowed to participate in the game. Following a play where he sustained a blow to his head, Swank staggered to the sideline, vomited and collapsed. He was airlifted to a hospital where he died two days later.

The case illustrates an important standard of practice for athletic personnel – the principle that even if a concussed athlete has been cleared by a doctor to return to action, if coaches or athletic trainers believe it is unsafe for the player to participate, the athlete should be withheld from competition. The Washington Supreme Court, in applying the Zackery Lystedt law – the nation’s first concussion protocol law, enacted in 2009 – stated that “although the Valley Christian School argues it had a right to rely on Dr. Burns’ note that Drew was fit to play, the Zackery Lystedt law does not permit [school athletic personnel] to ignore observable signs that Drew continued to suffer from the concussion he had earlier sustained and ignore its own concussion plan that required the school to remove Drew from play.” Athletic directors, coaches and athletic trainers often operate under the misconception that they cannot “overrule” the clearance-to-participate issued by doctor – the Swank case demonstrates the principle that if athletic personnel recognize the manifestation by an athlete of concussion indicia, the player should be withheld from competition, period.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
I am disappointed this is still happening in 2017.

Not sure how it works but niece had test before softball season, she got a concussion. She had to get back to her baseline before she could play again. Took a while.
 
Oct 1, 2014
2,218
113
USA
I am disappointed this is still happening in 2017.

Not sure how it works but niece had test before softball season, she got a concussion. She had to get back to her baseline before she could play again. Took a while.

Baseline testing is widely available, painless, relatively quick and easy and often free. Seek it out in your area and do it for your kids sake....do not rely on a coach or trainer. Be proactive.
 
May 8, 2012
127
16
NJ
Interesting reading, and something I am now familiar with. I would go a step beyond just baseline and become an advocate for a return to play protocol, which is required by the NFL and many other major sports leauges. I will share DD's story from Sept '16 to March of '17.
DD, who was 16 at the time, attempts to advance from 1st to 2nd on a passed ball....ball is knocked down at C's foot, which DD doesnt realized. C throws to 2nd, who is 3' off bag on 1st base side. DD realizes that shes dead and tries to slide early..tag catches DD under facemask, directly to chin. She has now basically just run full steam into an uppercut. Though it was a crazy hard tag, no malice intended..it was a tight game and a bang bang play. DD is obviously loopy and done for the rest of the day. Sunday, we seem fine, but as getting dressed, we realize she may have a concussion...headache, photophobia, some occasional vision issues..DD watches from the bench that day. Monday, we set an appointment for the afternoon to see a local Dr that "specializes" in concussions. We go in, DD still showing obvious symptoms...he cuts out school work, softball, tv, reading..everything. and return a week later showing no more symptoms. DD goes to follow up and takes her test....her baseline was a 96%, this test returns at 18%. Follow up 2 weeks later, test is 85%. 2 weeks later, 96% and cleared to play. DD practices with the team, but light workouts, getting ready for Sat showcase. DD plays game 1 Sat for 3 innings in rf, and leads off entire game but never sees a ball or gets on base. Everything feels good. Game 2, DD hits a little dribbler to 3rd, but manages to reach 1st. Next batter hits a double, and DD is attempting to score from 1st....standing with the dads, we all saw DD turn 3rd odd, but quickly guess that she may have shuffle stepped to make a good plant and push off of 3rd for home (later i find out that rhe shuffle was actually her starting to whiteout)...10ft from home and shes not digging like she was...play at the plate now, and DD not sliding...out on the stand up tag by C. DD falls at the plate, immediately pops back up...her legs quiver and she looks like a newborn baby giraffe. She falls back to the ground. There is no feeling from the waist down, and all her concussion symptoms return. 40min ambulance ride to hospital and overnight stay. In the end, she was fine...but hooking up with a neurologist who does specialize in concussions was the best thing ever. He had her follow a return to play protocol, which has 4 or 5 levels to it...each requiring a higher heart rate to successfully pass. In DD's case, had she had any kind of stress test after passing her baseline concussion test, it would have shown that she was not ready to return because she wasnt ready to handle the increase in blood pressure in her head.
Very trying times..and took forever to finally pass..but when she returned just before the HS season started, she was 100% good to go. I say absolutly be sure to take a baseline test for comparison should you suffer a head injury...just have to remember that it ONLY represents cognitive function...there should be much more required if you want to return to athletics
 
Last edited:
Jul 19, 2014
2,390
48
Madison, WI
I can't find a link to the article, but I gather recently, I think somewhere in Florida, a men's fastpitch pitcher died.

From what I can tell, he had a concussion a few hours before the game, and decided to play anyway. During the game, he was hit on the head by a batted ball, and later died from the complications.

Moral of the story? It can be quite dangerous to play with a concussion.
 
Apr 26, 2015
704
43
Head injuries are the worst! DD took a charge in a basketball game and was thrown about 5 feet and she slid into a wall. Her concussion was likened to shaken baby syndrome because she never actually hit her head on anything but the impact rattled her brain around. It was considered a relatively minor concussion. She was out of school for 7 days and was not cleared to play sports until approximately 7 weeks later. It was like getting to know my kid all over again. She is usually very easy going and sweet. She became mean, irritable and snippy. She cried about everything and would go from happy to mad in the blink of an eye for no apparent reason. It was scary for the whole family to watch. I cannot imagine a more severe concussion and I feel for all the parents whose kids have experienced one.

My friend’s daughter got a concussion in soccer. They were one of those families who had her return to play before actually being cleared. “She’s tough”, “she can handle it”. Ok..my daughter is tough too - she played 1.5 games with a a gash in her leg that required 7 stitches - but when it comes to head injuries...there is no way I would let her risk it. No matter how “tough” she is. My friend’s daughter ultimately wound up being benched by her coach when she “wasn't up to speed”. Thank goodness!
 

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