Abstract:
Context: Concussion has emerged as one of the most challenging conditions in medicine. With the currently changing and evolving diagnosis and treatment paradigms in concussion management, a comprehensive review of the current literature was necessary. This article focuses on the in-office evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of the concussed athlete as opposed to on-field assessment. This article will guide the primary care physician through a logical evaluation and treatment process for this challenging injury.
Evidence Acquisition: A thorough and comprehensive review of the current literature was performed via PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar.
Study Design: Clinical Review.
Level of Evidence: Level 5
Results: Upon review of the current medical and allied health literature, a systematic and step-wise approach to obtaining key historical points, physical examination, medical imaging, additional diagnostic testing, and treatment both medically and by allied health professionals was developed to give primary care physicians a structured protocol to follow in the diagnosis and treatment of concussion in the office-based setting.
Conclusion: This article gives primary care physicians a current and progressive approach to the diagnosis, evaluation, work-up, and treatment of the concussed athlete in the in-office setting concerning concussion management.