ratiqu cliniqu linica ra ic : • Canadian Family Physician • Le Médecin de famille canadien Concussion

Family physicians, particularly those who work in emergency rooms or act as physicians for sports teams, are often confronted with concus-sion. Although concussion can result from a vari-ety of everyday activities, this article will focus on sports-related concussion. When the injury happens, physicians must con-sider whether a player can resume play. If a player cannot resume play immediately, the issue arises of when it is safe for the player to return to the sport. Problems such as posttraumatic syndrome and second-impact syndrome must be considered when making this decision. e decision is diffi cult because there are currently no universally accepted guidelines for management of sports-related concussion.1-3 Concussion has reached near-epidemic propor