What should a coach or parent do straight away when concussion is suspected?

Question

Accepted Answer

Apply first-aid principles. Suspect a neck injury if there is loss of consciousness, neck pain, or a mechanism that could cause spinal injury, and do not move the person without guidance from appropriately trained people. Remove the player from sport immediately, with no return on that day (AIS decision tree). Take normal first aid precautions including neck protection. Check for red flags. If any are present, send the player to the nearest emergency department. If none, refer to a healthcare practitioner as soon as practical. Record the details for the treating practitioner: when the injury happened, how it happened, where on the body the player was hit, and what happened next (loss of consciousness, convulsions, amnesia, vomiting or confusion), plus any behaviour changes or memory loss. Keep the player with a responsible adult.