Assessment and management of sport-related concussion in general practice.

Background: Sport-related concussion (SRC) is a traumatic brain injury that occurs during sport or exercise activity. SRC is a growing health concern in Australia, with increasing public awareness and presentations to general practitioners being increasingly common.

Objective: This article will focus on the assessment and management of SRC in general practice, including guidance for returning patients to sport. Concussion prevention, potential long-term complications, and the decision-making process regarding retirement from sport are beyond the scope of this article.

Conclusions: Recognising concussion can be difficult, as clinical symptoms and signs of SRC can evolve over a period of hours to days. General practitioners should be aware of the range of clinical concussion presentations. The key principles of management include relative rest, followed by a graduated return to cognitive and physical activity. Involvement of a multidisciplinary team can improve symptoms for those patients whose concussion symptoms are prolonged.