NFL to include neurotrauma consultants in amended concussion protocol
The National Football League (NFL)'s concussion protocol was recently amended to include a central unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant (UNC) for all games. This development comes as on-field incidents have generated discussion about the league's handling of concussions.
"We have had over 540 concussion evaluations, and really only two have come under investigation," Allen Sills, MD, chief medical officer of the NFL, told ESPN. "That doesn't mean we're satisfied. Our [protocols] have worked overwhelmingly in a positive matter, but we're not satisfied. The genesis is always that you take something pretty good and make it better. No protocol covers every situation or anticipates every eventuality, just as no medical test is 100 percent perfect."
The most notable changes include:
- The stationing of a central UNC in the NFL’s command center to assist in the oversight of each game.
- Signs of impact seizure will be considered the same as loss of consciousness, which will result in the player being taken out of the game with the possibility of not returning.
- Players who show gross motor instability or significant loss of balance must be taken to the locker room for evaluation if not diagnosed as an orthopedic injury.
- Players evaluated for a concussion must be re-evaluated within 24 hours, even if the player has an off day.
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As a senior news writer for TriMed, Subrata covers cardiology, clinical innovation and healthcare business. She has a master’s degree in communication management and 12 years of experience in journalism and public relations.