Citation

Salman D, Marino K, Griffin S, Shafik A, Fitzpatrick D, Majeed A, Vishnubala D. Br. J. Gen. Pract. 2023; 73(735): 440-442.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Royal College of General Practitioners)

DOI

10.3399/bjgp23X735009

PMID

37770212

Abstract

The clear benefits to individual, population, and planetary health from participation in physical activity and sport must be balanced against supporting individuals following injury. Over recent years, sport-related concussion (SRC) and its potential sequelae have gained increasing interest and attention, and the current Rugby World Cup will hopefully illustrate the progress made in treating SRC more rigorously. Two recent publications: the consensus statement from the Concussion In Sport Group (CISG) at the 6th International Conference on Concussion in Sport, Amsterdam,1 and UK Government landmark concussion guidance,2 will help refine the understanding, diagnosis, and management of SRC.

SRC is common in high impact and collision sports,3 and is a condition many GPs will have seen. Over 1% of all emergency department attendances in England and Wales in 2016 were due to concussion, with many more potentially undiagnosed or coded incorrectly.4 SRCs account for a significant proportion (up to 60% in children and adolescents) of these cases,5 and the UK brain injury association, Headway, reports increasing rates of head injuries and acquired brain injuries over the past two decades.6 This may also reflect increased recognition and media coverage of the condition.

The landscape for SRC has been a tumultuous one. A 2021 UK House of Commons Select Committee report criticised awareness of the condition within the UK healthcare system as insufficient to adequately address long-term sequelae, and recommended a programme to better record and treat the condition.7 Long-term sequelae of concussion may include cognitive and neurological issues. Controversy regarding academic retractions from a lead SRC researcher has done little to dispel concerns over conflicts of interest and a lack of transparency...

Language: en