Concussion Quick Check - New App To Evaluate Sports Concussions At Games

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness
Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience
Article Date: 19 Mar 2013 - 0:00 PDT


The American Academy of Neurologists has launched "Concussion Quick Check", a new App to help athletes, parents, trainers and coaches rapidly determine whether somebody has concussion and needs to see a doctor.

The app is available for iPad, Android, IOS (Apple) and some other mobile devices. It was developed according to the diagnosis and evaluation guidelines for sports concussion that the AAN (American Academy of Neurology) had recently updated.

Details about the new app were announced at the Academy's Annual Meeting in San Diego yesterday, in conjunction with the release of the "Updated Sports Concussion Guideline" which urges the immediate removal of athletes from play if there is suspected concussion.

"Concussion Quick Check" contains the following tools and key data:

• The most common signs of concussion
• The symptoms of concussion
• What the affected athlete might say
• If the athlete has a head injury during a game or training session, what to do
• If the athlete appears to have concussion, what to do
• When the athlete should be allowed to return to the game
• How to find a nearby neurologist (GPS capability)
• Assistance in finding out about state laws on concussion
• Further data on the AAN's new guideline for diagnosing, treatment and managing sports concussion

Concussion Quick Check can be downloaded at App Store

Christopher C. Giza, MD, with the David Geffen School of Medicine and Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA and a member of the American Academy of Neurology, who helped develop the content for the Concussion Quick Check app., said:

"The American Academy of Neurology, the world's largest association of neurologists, is the trusted authority in managing sports concussion. We hope this easy-to-access tool will help coaches, athletic trainers, parents and athletes alike to quickly determine if an athlete shows signs of concussion and needs to see a licensed health care professional trained in managing concussion, such as a neurologist. It's a perfect tool to have on your iPad or smart phone when coaching or watching a game from the sidelines."

Download the Concussion Quick Check Reference Sheet.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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