Three Step "Concussion Check" Protocol by the Mayo Clinic
Article by Concussion Alliance contributor and intern Hannah Kennicott.
The International Concussion Society published a video covering Mayo Clinic’s “Concussion Check,” an easy-to-follow protocol for parents and coaches on how to handle concussions in student-athletes while in the absence of medical professionals.
The sideline protocol has three steps to determine if an athlete should return to play:
Recognize and remove every potentially concussed athlete from the activity.
Assess the athlete’s memory by asking questions like “Where are we? Is this a practice or game?”
Conduct the King-Devick Test (description below). There is a King-Devick Test app available for iPad, and the cost is per team member.
More information on how to implement the three-step protocol can be found on the International Concussion Society website and on the Mayo Clinic Concussion Check website.
The King-Devick Test
The King-Devick Test, the third component of the protocol, is a short visual assessment that can identify impaired eye movement. A study by Dr. Steven Galetta et al. at the NYU Langone Concussion Center found that the King-Devick Test detected concussions in children with 92% accuracy. The research was conducted by Steven Galetta, MD at the NYU Langone Concussion Center, and published in the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology.
However, another study by Dr. Gordon Ward Fuller at al. found that the King-Devick Test was not a reliable method of concussion detection in elite rugby players. The researchers discovered the test had a relatively low sensitivity of 60% and specificity of 39%. The study was published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine.
King-Devick Technologies, in association with Mayo Clinic, has developed a King-Devick Test app that is available for iPad. The cost is per team member.
You can also purchase directly from the Mayo Clinic; the app, Mayo Clinic Concussion Check Protocol, and Mayo Clinic Concussion Educational Videos are available as a package for $15 per athlete.