Overview
The Queensland Representative School Sport (QRSS) Concussion Management Guidelines are based on the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Australian Concussion Guidelines for Youth and Community Sport as well as other available concussion guidelines from National Sporting Organisations. The guidelines in this document have been adapted to outline the processes for responding to and managing suspected concussions or concussion-related injuries sustained by students during representative school sports activities and events.
The management of concussion involves the following steps, with each being completed before moving to the next step, these steps include:
- Recognise the injury and remove the student from the game
- Respond to the suspected concussion
- Refer the player to a medical practitioner for assessment and record incident
- Return to learn and play
- Review
Summary
All players with a suspected or confirmed concussion must be immediately removed from the field and are recommended to not return to play for a minimum of 48 hours. During this time, they must be monitored and assessed by a medical practitioner. If a concussion is diagnosed or suspected by the medical practitioner, children and adolescents must follow a minimum 21-day recovery period before returning to sport. If multiple suspected concussions are diagnosed by a medical practitioner a recommended starting point for return to sport after the second concussion within three months, would be 28 days symptom-free before returning to play sport and a minimum of six weeks from the time of the most recent concussion until returning to sport.
In situations where three concussions have occurred within a 12-month period, consideration needs to be given to missing a season of sport.
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