SDSU Athletic Medicine and A.S/Aztec Recreation are committed to providing the best possible healthcare to our student-athletes. Concussions are serious injuries that need to be taken care of properly. If not treated correctly, there is a greater risk for further, more disruptive injury, and/or longer recovery time. In order to ensure that any athlete that suffers from a concussion is safely returned to play, the following procedure will be followed for every concussion:
- The athlete will be immediately removed from play and evaluated by a certified athletic trainer. If a certified athletic trainer was not present at the time of injury, the athlete should report to the athletic trainer (AT), to be evaluated by the certified athletic trainer or to a physician as soon as possible.
- The athlete will be informed about their injury; will be given information and recommendations regarding participation and at home instructions.
All sports club members participating in activities designated as “contact/collision” will undergo baseline ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) and/or SCAT5 (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5) testing prior to beginning workouts with the team.
- The ImPACT test is a computerized concussion management system that tests the following components of cognitive function: verbal memory, visual memory, information processing speed, reaction time and impulse control.
- The SCAT5 test consists of a Graded Symptom Scale (GSS), the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) and the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC).
These tools identify the severity of symptoms, balance deficits and immediate neurocognitive deficits. A thorough concussion history, including number of concussions, as well as symptoms following any identified head trauma, will also be gathered on each club sport participant.
Please refer to the Medical Disqualification Policy for information on consequences for not following the recommendations of the certified athletic trainer and/or physician.
All student-athletes and coaches must review the concussion fact sheet; review, sign and submit the Concussion Statement Acknowledgement; and review the concussion video (coaches only) presented by the NCAA annually.
