Unreported concussion in high school football players

Recent research in sport-related concussions has begun to reveal more about the specific hazards of high school football. However, the national reports of incidence/prevalence of concussions in this population appear to be inaccurate, because only emergency department (ED) visits are accounted for in reporting the number of concussions sustained in football. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there is a statistically significant difference between the frequencies of concussion reports by athletic trainers (ATC) versus hospital records on concussion in high school football players in El Paso, Texas. Method. A questionnaire was delivered to athletic trainers through face-to-face interactions in El Paso, TX and admission reports were collected from all participating hospitals in the city for comparison. Results. There was a statistically significant difference between concussions reports, more by athletic trainers than the number of hospital ED reports with a diagnosis of a concussion. Fifty-five percent of the concussions reported by athletic trainers were not admitted to a hospital, and 24% did not receive any medical attention.