to a study from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide
Children's Hospital in
athletes who suffer concussions return to action prematurely and set themselves
up for more severe injuries.
The study also suggests
that personnel on the sidelines are often unprepared to make accurate diagnoses
and informed decisions about sending players back on the field, USA Today reported.
“We find these
numbers about athletes returning to play tremendously alarming,” said Dawn
Comstock, the study's director of research.
Concussions account for almost one in 10 sports injuries, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Comstock conservatively estimated
that more than 130,000 concussions occurred among 3.8 million players in nine
sports last year, with football and boys and girls soccer leading the way.
Comstock said 16% of
football players reported returning to play the same day they lost
consciousness – which goes against guidelines created by an international panel
of experts in 2004.
The National Federation
of State High School Associations has reviewed the new study and is sending a
revised concussion pamphlet to member organizations this spring, a spokesman
said.
