Post Concussion Return to Play Protocols

Concussion Management Program

Michael Stuart MD

Kevin Margarucci ATC

A sports concussion management program must be incorporated within each affiliate.

All USA Hockey programs should follow this protocol as a minimum standard and conform to their state concussion statutes.

Accepted current medical practice and the law in most states require that any athlete with a suspected Sports Related Concussion (SRC) is immediately removed from play.

• A concussion is a traumatic brain injury- there is no such thing as a minor brain injury.

• A player does not have to be “knocked-out” to have a concussion- less than 10% of players lose consciousness.

• A concussion can result from a blow to head, neck, or body.

• Concussions often occur to players who don’t have or just released the puck, from open-ice hits, unanticipated hits, and illegal collisions.

• The youth hockey player’s brain is more susceptible to concussion.

• Concussion in a young athlete may be harder to diagnosis, takes longer to recover, and is more likely to have a recurrence, which can be associated with serious long-term effects.

• The strongest predictor of slower recovery from a concussion is the severity of initial symptoms in the first day or 2 after the injury.

• Treatment is individualized and it is impossible to predict when the athlete will be allowed to return to play- there is no standard timetable.

A player with any symptoms/signs or a worrisome mechanism of injury has a concussion until proven otherwise:

“When in doubt, sit them out.”

For Team Managers: Should a player be removed from a practice or game with a suspected concussion, the form on this link (page 6) MUST be completed and returned to returntoplay@cahahockey.com before the player can resume team activity