Sir, – Following recent articles in many newspapers and a fine Editorial in The Irish Times (September 6th), concussion has finally come into the public arena. It has been the hottest topic in sports medicine in America for 10 years, yet on this side of the Atlantic its major significance in recreational and competitive sports has received faint recognition, with some exceptions.
It behoves all sporting bodies in this country to put in place procedures in accordance with the Consensus statement on concussion in sport, published in April 2013, following the fourth international meeting on concussion in sports, Zurich November 2012. In simple terms, an athlete with a suspected concussion should not be assessed for a minimum of 15 minutes. A standard protocol is in place (SCAT 3) to guide this assessment which will take 10-15 minutes. Only then can a diagnosis be made as to whether or not the athlete is concussed. Sporting bodies must also allow adequate medical/paramedical staff to be along the sideline to detect these possible concussions. In the light of the tragic death of 14-year-old Benjamin Robinson, perhaps it is time for our legislators to introduce legislation in line with the Zach Lysted Law, introduced in the state of Washington in 2009, to protect young athletes from the life-threatening or potentially life-threatening consequences of returning too soon after a concussion. To-date similar legislation has been passed by the majority of US states. Let Ireland lead from the front on this most critical topic in sports medicine. – Yours, etc,
Dr ADRIAN Mc GOLDRICK,
Senior Medical Officer,
The Turf Club,
The Curragh, Co Kildare.