Webinar recap – Concussions: An invisible epidemic and the need to standardize care

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Concussions. We hear about them daily – in the media, medicine, and sports, to name a few. Recently, the NHL and NFL have garnered vast media attention for the potential links between high impact sports and concussions.

In Concussions: An invisible epidemic and the need to standardize care, Dr. Shelina Babul from the B.C. Injury Research and Prevention Unit offers the latest research, policies and practice for concussions in sport, and walks us through the concussion awareness training tool (CATT) which helps to standardize practice among various audiences.

Watch Dr. Babul’s full talk above, or read on for a few takeaways from the webinar.

The focus nowadays shouldn’t be preventing youth from engaging in sport. With immense benefits ranging from cardiovascular benefits to self-esteem building, they should be encouraged to partake in physical activity. Instead, the attention should be drawn towards concussion prevention, recognition, and management.

1. A concussion is a brain injury.

It’s not just a bonk to the head, or a mere smack to the skull. A concussion is a complex pathophysiologic process induced by traumatic forces that damage the brain. Delicate in nature, the human brain contains 800 miles of wired pathways that are disrupted when a concussion takes place. In addition, a concussion can result from a hit to another part of the body, causing an acceleration or deceleration of the head and the brain colliding against the skull.   

2. Concussions are everyone’s responsibility.

Every individual has a role to play when it comes to concussions.

Players need to stop playing hero, and to tell someone if they’re feeling off.
Parents and coaches need to stop pushing children back into play.
Referees need to prevent players from crossing the line.
Physicians need to know how to correctly diagnose.
Teachers need to know how to reintegrate students back into the system.

3.  As invisible as concussions are, resources do exist.

There is still an ocean of knowledge surrounding concussions waiting to be discovered. In the meantime, current insights and research can be found in the Concussion Awareness Training Toolkit (CATT), a one of a kind resource designed to standard the practice behind concussions. Built on new and emerging evidence-based information, the CATT includes three toolkits that provide training in the recognition, treatment and management of concussions for 1) medical professionals, 2) parents, players and coaches, and 3) school professionals.

Equip yourself with the right tools and visit www.cattonline.com to learn more about concussions and what to do when one is affected.