Concussions

I found an old article entitled "The Nightmare Punch" in my files. It's now posted on my site in the articles section under Resources. The following comments by Dr. Marc Rowe refer to that article, but on their own are good information for those of us in our contact sport of choice.

In adult and pediatric trauma centers head injuries are the most common serious injury and often associated with multiple injuries. The epidural is a killer. Often victim is knocked out , wakes up is clear and then develops symptoms and then slips into coma. This is a surgical emergency. Bleeding is from an artery (middle menigeal that runs in a groove on the inside of the skull and is vulnerable with skull fracture). With arterial bleeding, blood rapidly accumulates and pressure cause brain herniation and death. Rapid diagnosis and relieving pressure and controlling hemorrhage is the ticket.
A subdural hematoma slowly causes symptoms. Pressure on the brain develops slowly because bleeding is from veins not an artery.
The new stuff is really appreciation of post concussion syndrome and better diagnostic modalities.

Jan's daughter told her she had been "shaken uncontrollably" by one of her friends (I'd put that in quotes, too) and she had a headache for two days after. She's a rail, about 110 pounds, and I'm pretty sure the headache was a mild concussion. Marc and I are thinking we're going to write something on concussions when we get done with our sleeper hold article. What do you think?