Heads Up for Concussion Awareness
Have you ever gotten a notice in Magnus that your student had a head bump at school? Our wonderful staff and faculty complete annual training on concussions and are in the good habit of sending students who have had even seemingly minor head bumps to the clinic where Mrs. Burnside and Mrs. Crawford conduct an initial concussion assessment and send home a Magnus note on the findings. Typically, children will not present with concussion symptoms at school, but may develop symptoms over the course of the day or even once they arrive home. The bottom of every "head bump" Magnus note contains this:
"Please watch your student for signs and symptoms of a concussion over the next 24 hours. These include: Complaining of pressure or headache; nausea or vomiting; balance problems/dizziness; double or blurry vision; sensitivity to light; sensitivity to noise; feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy or groggy; confusion/not feeling "right." If your student starts to complain of these symptoms, please reach out to Inova Sports Medicine at inova.org/sportsconcussion or call the 24-hour concussion hotline at 703-970-6427.
It's worth noting that imaging is not typically necessary for concussion management, and that local resources such as the Inova Sports Medicine Concussion Program can be really helpful at creating a care plan for the aftermath of a concussion, and calling the hotline first may well save you an ER trip (and copay!).
As always, if you have a question about anything reported to you through Magnus, please call the clinic at 703-52-6781x228.