Breaking Out of Concussion Jail - Episode 6

Suffering a concussion can make you feel like a prisoner, especially if you’re a student athlete. Cameron Wright, a division I water polo player who suffered a concussion last year, knows this first hand. In this episode, he shares his experience with concussion, and how he finally returned to the sport he loves. Dr. Roger Zemek, one of the leading investigators studying concussion and return to play, discusses how recent research is changing our approach to recovery. Finally, Dr. Jeremiah Ray, a Sports Medicine and Emergency trained physician, talks about how he manages concussion in his college athletes, and gives us his recommendations for assessing and counseling patients in the ED. 

How do you manage concussion in your practice? Does what you’ve heard change anything for you? Continue the conversation on social media @empulsepodcast or at ucdavisem.com.

Hosts:

Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis

Dr. Julia Magaña, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis

Guests:

Cameron Wright, Men’s Water Polo Player at UC Berkeley

Dr. Roger Zemek, FRCPC Associate Professor Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine University of Ottawa, Vice chair pediatric emergency research Canada (PERC), Clinical Research chair in Pediatric Concussion University of Ottawa 

Dr. Jeremiah Ray, Head Team Physician for UC Davis Intercollegiate Athletics

Resources:

SCAT 5 (Sports Concussion Assessment Tool - 5th Edition)

CDC HEADS UP to Brain Injury Awareness

Resources for Health Care Providers

Resources for Parents

NCAA Concussion Diagnosis and Management Best Practices

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and Department of Defense Sport-Related Concussion Common Data Elements Version 1.0 Recommendations.

Broglio SP, Kontos AP, Levin H, Schneider K, Wilde EA, Cantu RC, Feddermann-Demont N, Fuller G, Gagnon I, Gioia G, Giza CC, Griesbach GS, Leddy JJ, Lipton ML, Mayer A, McAllister T, McCrea M, McKenzie L, Putukian M, Signoretti S, Suskauer SJ, Tamburro R, Turner M, Yeates KO, Zemek R, Ala'i S, Esterlitz J, Gay K, Bellgowan PSF, Joseph K. J Neurotrauma. 2018 May 2. doi: 10.1089/neu.2018.5643. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 29717643

Full Interview with Dr. Roger Zemek