HEADS UP! CONCUSSION PREVENTION AND AWARENESS INTRODUCTION WHERE - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

HEADS UP! CONCUSSION PREVENTION AND AWARENESS

INTRODUCTION

WHERE WE WERE OVER A YEAR AGO  July 2012, DSBN created Administrative Procedure 3- 27 entitled “CONCUSSIONS”  The Concussion Administrative Procedure went to the Policies and Procedures Committee for approval in October 2012  The Administrative Procedure was vetted to all Principals for input prior to being adopted by the Board  Administrative Procedure 3-27 was approved in January 2013  The Administrative Procedure was communicated to all Principals via Superintendent Area meetings in January 2013

WHERE WE WERE OVER A YEAR AGO  DSBN revised our Administrative Procedure 1-14 entitled “PERMISSION TO PARTICIPATE IN CURRICULAR (PHYSICAL EDUCATION) AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR ATHLETIC PROGRAMS”  The revised AP requires parent/guardians to acknowledge previous concussions and divulge them to the school board even if the injury occurred while in the care of the parent (weekend, summer break, etc.)

WHAT DSBN CREATED TO TRACK INJURIES AND CONCUSSIONS  DSBN created a tracking system for all student injuries including concussions  DSBN staff fill in our own OSBIE form which requests a lot more information then is required for OSBIE submissions  Only the required OSBIE information is extracted and sent to OSBIE  DSBN can run reports with the word concussion within the description if needed and further sub-divide by the type of sports injury  Schools that use OSBIE can request a summary report for injuries

WHAT DSBN CREATED TO TRACK INJURIES AND CONCUSSIONS

COMMUNICATING PREVENTION OF CONCUSSIONS  School Boards need to consider distributing information to students, parents, guardians, board employees and volunteers about the prevention of head injuries, the identification of symptoms of concussions and the management of concussions  In Administrative Procedure 3-27, there are seven Appendices, three of which are posters  Appendix A - Signs and Symptoms of a Concussion Posters were distributed to all schools for posting on walls within the schools for everyone within the school to read  Appendix C - Concussions Guidelines for the Teacher Poster was posted in the staff rooms of all schools  Schools were encouraged to use the information in Appendix B - Parent Fact Sheet to educate parents on concussions via the school newsletter

COMMUNICATING PREVENTION OF CONCUSSIONS Partnerships are Extremely Important  DSBN and Regional Niagara Public Health (RNPH) have partnered to develop online concussion resources to come in the fall of 2013  Awaiting the launch of Parachute Canada’s free Online Concussion Courses, coming in the Fall of 2013  DSBN and RNPH partnered previously on an online Infection Control training session mandatory to staff and available to all students and visitors to our DSBN website, www.DSBN.org, under the heading of Parents and the sub-heading of health and safety  Your school health nurse should be able to assist with concussion management of suspected concussed students

RECOGNITION OF CONCUSSIONS Sports Medic  DSBN uses Sports Medic for all high risk sport activities such as football, rugby and track and field  Paramedics are in attendance for the duration of the event  If any injury occurs, the paramedic staff can attend to the injured immediately after the event minimizing the risk of further injury  Sports Medic has the ability to detect concussions and remove suspected concussed individuals from play

WHAT IS CONTAINED IN AP 3-27? CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTR CENTERS F R DISEASE CONTROL & L & PREVENTION PREVENTION Def Definition nition  A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that results from a bump, blow, or jolt to the head (or by a hit to the body) that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. This sudden movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, stretching and damaging the brain cells and creating chemical changes in the brain.  DSBN used this definition for our Administrative Procedure

COMMUNICATING PREVENTION OF CONCUSSIONS PREVENTION PREVENTION 1. Education for coaches, staff, parents and students to:  a) Recognize the symptoms of concussion;  b) Remove the athlete from play;  c) Refer the athlete to a physician. 2. Wearing the protective equipment appropriate for the sport engaged in:  a) Equipment should fit properly;  b) Equipment should be well maintained;  c) Equipment should be worn consistently and correctly. 3. Students should follow their coaches' rules for safety and the rules of the sport. 4. Parents need to teach their child that it is not smart to participate in sports if they received a head injury.

COMMUNICATING PREVENTION OF CONCUSSIONS PREVENTION PREVENTION 5. It is not a badge of honour to play injured. 6. Discourage others from pressuring injured students to play. 7. Parents/coaches must not convince the child/student that he/she is "just fine". 8. Sharing of information with the school and the school coaches about any concussions the student may have suffered in the past. 9. Provide reassurance, support and request/offer academic accommodations as needed. 10. Outline the risks associated with the activity/sport for a concussion. 11. Demonstrate how the risks can be minimized e.g. teach proper sport techniques - correct tackling in football, effective positioning in soccer, how to avoid over-crowding when using the creative playground. Take attendance in class and interschool sports and instruct absent student/athletes, on previously taught safety skills, prior to next activity session.

COMMUNICATING PREVENTION OF CONCUSSIONS PREVENTION PREVENTION 12. Document safety lessons e.g. date, time, brief content, list of students in attendance. 13. Teach skills in proper progression. 14. Enforce the rules of the sport. 15. Emphasize the principles of head-injury prevention e.g. keeping the head up and avoiding collision. 16. Eliminate all checks to the head. 17. Eliminate all hits from behind. 18. Check that protective equipment is visually inspected prior to activity and well maintained. 19. Enforce the principles of: respect for the rules of the game and practice fair play.

COMMUNICATING PREVENTION OF CONCUSSIONS  Appendix A – Signs and Symptoms of a Concussion Poster  Appendix B – Parent Fact Sheet – Concussion  Appendix C - Concussion Guidelines for the Teacher  Appendix D – Concussion Signs and Symptoms Checklist  Appendix E – Coach Pocket Scat 2 Test  Appendix F – Principal Responsibilities Poster  Appendix G – Request to Resume Athletic Participation: Concussion Related Injuries

WHEN A SUSPECTED CONCUSSION OCCURS  As soon as an injury occurs, first aid must be administered.  Do not leave the student alone;  monitor signs and symptoms for deterioration.  Do not administer medication.  Staff must be alert for symptoms that worsen over time.

WHEN A SUSPECTED CONCUSSION OCCURS The student should be seen in an emergency department immediately if he/she has:  One pupil (the black part in the middle of the eye) larger than the other  Drowsiness or cannot be awakened  A headache that gets worse and does not go away  Weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination  Repeated vomiting or nausea  Slurred speech  Convulsions or seizures  Difficulty recognizing people or places  Increasing confusion, restlessness, or agitation  Unusual behavior  Loss of consciousness (even a brief loss of consciousness should be taken seriously)

RESPONSIBILITIES  Responsibilities of the School Board and School  Responsibilities of the Principal (Appendix F)  Responsibilities of Teaching Staff (academic, coaching, psychologists, speech language pathologists etc.)  Responsibilities of Parents/Guardians  Responsibilities of Physician/Health Care Provider  Responsibilities of the Student

RESTRICTING PARTICIPATION IN ATHLETICS The Think First Return to Play Guidelines can be used:  A concussion is a serious event, but you can recover fully from such an injury if the brain is given enough time to rest and recuperate. Returning to normal activities, including sport participation, is a step-wise process that requires patience, attention, and caution. http://www http://www.thinkfir .thinkfirst.ca/pr t.ca/programs/do grams/documents/TF_Concussion_R cuments/TF_Concussion_RTP_E_20 TP_E_2012.pdf 12.pdf

RESTRICTING PARTICIPATION IN ATHLETICS St Step 1: NO A ep 1: NO ACTIVIT TIVITY, ONL , ONLY COMPLETE RES COMPLETE REST Limit school, work and tasks requiring concentration. Refrain from physical activity until symptoms are gone. Once symptoms are gone, a physician, preferably one with experience managing concussions, should be consulted before beginning a step wise return to play process.

RESTRICTING PARTICIPATION IN ATHLETICS St Step 2: LIGHT AER ep 2: LIGHT AEROBIC EXER BIC EXERCISE CISE Activities such as walking or stationary cycling. The player should be supervised by someone who can help monitor for symptoms and signs. No resistance training or weight lifting. The duration and intensity of the aerobic exercise can be gradually increased over time if no symptoms or signs return during the exercise or the next day. Sym Symptoms? ms? Return to rest until symptoms have resolved. If symptoms persist, consult a physician. No sym No symptoms? ms? Proceed to St Step 3 ep 3 the next day.