The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has issued a new physician’s statement with five recommendations for management of concussions in sports.
Concussion = Brain Injury
As I have explained here before, a concussion is, in fact, a minor traumatic brain injury.
According to a medical study released in Toronto on Monday, 25% of junior hockey players on the two teams that were the subject of the study suffered concussions (minor traumatic brain injuries) last year.
One of the co-authors of this study, Dr. Paul Echlin called the results “alarming”.
Multiple Injuries
Perhaps the biggest myth of brain injury is that mild traumatic brain injuries are not disabling.
They Look Okay
Since persons with traumatic brain injuries do not look obviously injured and many can function reasonable well in society, there is a common misperception that a traumatic brain injury is not as disabling as more obvious physical injuries.
I have to admit it, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love seeing all the cute and scary costumes, and decorating our house so it looks like a haunted mansion.
But Halloween can also present dangers to children that parents need to be aware of. Here is a simple list of Halloween Safety Tips for parents to consider.
Halloween Safety Tips
This week Evenflo, one of the largest manufactures of infant car and booster seats, announced it is recalling more than 18,000 child car seats in Canada and the U.S. after Consumer Reports crash-tested the seat and found that it can crack and fail in a simulated 48 km/h frontal collision.
The recall affects the Evenflo Maestro Combination Booster Seat. Canadians who own the seats should call 1-800-265-0749 for more information.
The news made me think of some of the claims I have had in the past where children were injured in car accidents even though they were secured in car seats. The fact is that many parents are not aware of some of the issues that need to be considered when buying and using infant car seats.
Concussions Have Long Term Effects
It was once thought that the effects of concussion, (mild traumatic brain injury) were temporary. Doctors assumed patients could recover from the effects of concussion after a few minutes or hours.
However a famous research study published in Neurology, the Journal of the American Academy of Neurologists, found that after one year, 10% to 15% of mild traumatic brain injury patients still had not fully recovered. In fact, the study determined that many patients had more symptoms than immediately after the accident.
Children Vulnerable to Head Injury
Children do not lose consciousness as easily as adults. Because they don’t get “knocked out” as often as adults, a myth developed that children did not suffer brain injury as easily or as often adults.
Another myth about children and brain injury is that children are more resilient than adults and that they recover or “bounce back” faster after a traumatic brain injury.
Last week the British Columbia Supreme Court released its decision in More v. Bauer Nike Hockey Inc.
Helmet Met Standards
In 2004 the plaintiff was a 17 year old hockey player. He was wearing a helmet certified by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). The helmet met all of the CSA standards.
I received a notice from the Executive Director of the Brain Injury Association of Nova Scotia that I wanted to pass along.
Just Imagine
Imagine kicking back and relaxing while enjoying the sights and sounds of the ocean during an overnight stay at the famous White Point Beach Lodge.
