Illinois Athletic Trainers and DoctorsTackle Concussions

Hinsdale Central Athletic Trainer Ted Hirschfeld assists player during football game

Hinsdale, IL, Sept. 4, 2009 –Ted Hirschfeld, athletic trainer for Hinsdale Central,  is joining other Illinois athletic trainers and doctors, in a campaign to head off serious concussions in young athletes that may affect them later in life. Officials of the Illinois Athletic Trainers Association (IATA) and neurosurgeons at the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch (CINN) are requesting that Illinois high schools have more stringent procedures on screening for and monitoring concussions. 
 

Concerned about recent research indicating a younger, less developed brain that is concussed more than once is more prone to future neurological impairment than an older, mature brain, the IATA and CINN have created an awareness campaign to better educate coaches and athletic trainers that concussions should be taken very seriously.
 

They are recommending the following:

• If there is a suspected concussion, a player should be benched for the game or until fully evaluated by a medical professional.

• Every high school should have a concussion testing mechanism in place. This may be as simple as a battery of questions or as advanced as a software program to measure concussions.

• There should be a team approach in handling concussions involving the athletic trainer, coach, physician, parent and teachers. This is especially important because concussions may not be symptomatic until several hours, or even days, after the hit.

“I think many players and coaches don’t realize how dangerous a concussion really is,” says Dean Karahalios, MD, CINN neurosurgeon who is a champion for the cause of concussion prevention. “A brain injury is so different than any other injury because you can’t measure the full potential of the damage for days or even years to come. Because of this, we created an awareness campaign to educate football players, coaches, parents and teachers about the signs and symptoms of a concussion and the importance of “sitting it out.”

“In the past, football players were told to suck it up and get back in the game,” saysTed Hirschfeld, IATA Board Member and Athletic Trainer for Hinsdale Central High School. “But there are too many unanswered questions about the impact a concussion has on the developing brain. We are trying toeducate coaches, players and parents that sitting out a game or two could make the difference in a young player’s life.”

Studies show that young, high-school age players who get back in the game and are hit again are at risk of “Second Impact Syndrome,” a condition where the brain swells rapidly and catastrophically after a person suffers a second concussion before symptoms from an earlier one have subsided. This syndrome has led to severe neurological problems and in some rare cases, death.

Members of the IATA and CINN physicians are offering a wallet-size tool to help players, coaches, parents and teachers better identify and monitor concussions in high school athletes. The card is available as an educational tool for those who work with young athletes to assist in identifying signs of a concussion or other brain injury and to prevent further harm to the youngster. The purpose of the card is twofold: One side features warning signs that the coach or parent can observe and symptoms the athlete may report following a concussion; the other outlines a mental status test the coach or parent can initiate with the athlete they suspect of having a concussion. The wallet resource also includes a phone number at which a CINN concussion expert may be reached if, and when, help is needed. For more information, or to order the card, log on to www.cinn.org or email: info@cinn.org.