Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A new study at a Texas sports clinic found that a large number of young athletes ignore government guidelines by resuming athletic activity on the same day.

Concussions are a common occurrence among sports players, although typically not life-threatening, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn against the “serious” consequences of concussions and advice athletes not to return to play on the same day. The study was carried out at the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Plano by Dr Shane M Miller and Meagan Sabatino – senior clinical research coordinator.

Once a patient has been diagnosed with a concussion, doctors recommend physical and mental rest for him. Most concussions are cleared in 7-10 days, and in sports-related concussions, the RTP should be done gradually. Guidelines from the NCAA recommend increasing physical activities progressively, under the supervision of a physician.

As previous research indicates, premature RTP can lead to greater injuries, which can even prove fatal. If players experience a second jolt before the effects of the first concussion has entirely dissipated, there is the risk of a so-called second-impact syndrome. A second impact can cause a failure in the brain’s ability to regulate its own blood supply, which can lead to a herniation of the brain that is often fatal.

Studies have pointed out the hazards of resuming athletic activity on the same day as the injury was produced, especially in young athletes. As reported in the consensus statement of the 4th International Conference on Concussion in Sport, there is a higher risk of developing neuropsychological deficits in adolescent athletes who return to play on the same day. Sometimes these deficits do not have immediate symptoms or may go completely unnoticed.

Young athletes should rest for longer periods than adults, even if they do not have any symptoms. The Consensus report is very clear in prohibiting young athletes from returning on the same day, stating: “It is not appropriate for a child or adolescent athlete with a concussion to RTP on the same day as the injury, regardless of the level of athletic performance.” Because young athletes have specific risks of developing post-injury complications, they need longer to recover. Age-specific risks include diffuse cerebral swelling, which calls for a particularly gradual RTP procedure.

In the study conducted by Miller and Sabatino, patients who resumed physical activities too soon reported more severe symptoms than immediately after being injured. After returning on the same day, they were more likely to experience nausea, dizziness, balance problems, and other symptoms commonly associated with brain injury. However, as this new study suggests, safety recommendations remain largely ignored and we still need to educate young athletes, sports coaches, and athletic trainers alike on the risks of premature RTP.