The Canadian Guideline on Concussion in Sport has been developed to ensure that athletes with a suspected concussion receive timely and appropriate care, and proper management to allow them to return to their sport.
Developed by Parachute and its Expert Advisory Concussion Subcommittee, the Guideline, published in July 2017, is based on a review of the current scientific evidence and expert consensus on best practices for the evaluation and management of Canadian athletes who sustain a concussion during a sport activity.
This guideline addresses seven key areas:
- Pre-season education
- Head injury recognition
- Onsite medical assessment
- Medical assessment
- Concussion management
- Multidisciplinary concussion care
- Return to sport
Funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, this guideline is an important part of the Parachute-led Concussion Protocol Harmonization Project and creates the foundation for a more consistent approach to concussion across the country.
Who should use this guideline?
This guideline is intended for use by all stakeholders who interact with athletes inside and outside the context of school and non-school based organized sports activity, including athletes, parents, coaches, officials, teachers, trainers and licensed healthcare professionals.
Monitoring concussions in Canada
Hospital emergency departments collect information on concussions and other brain injuries.
For example, among children and youth between 2011 and 2017:
- For children and youth 5 to 19 years:
- brain injuries made up 80% of emergency department visits, out of all head injuries from sports and recreation
- For boys and girls 5 to 9 years:
- brain injuries were most common in ice hockey, compared to all types of injuries in this sport
- For children and youth 10 to 14 years:
- for boys, brain injuries were most common in ice hockey, out of all types of injuries in this sport
- for girls, brain injuries were most common in ringette, out of all types of injuries in this sport
- For children and youth 15 to 19 years:
- for boys, brain injuries were most common in rugby, out of all types of injuries in this sport
- for girls, brain injuries were most common in ringette, out of all types of injuries in this sport
The National Ambulatory Care Reporting System also collects information from hospitals. In 2016-2017, 46,000 children aged 5 to 19 had a concussion:
- boys: 26,000 (54%)
- girls: 20,000 (45%)
For more information
- Data Blog on sport and recreation-related concussions and other brain injuries among children and youth
What Canadians know about concussions Public opinion research with parents, coaches, athletes, school staff and health professionals shows that:
- 1 in 2 have little or no knowledge
- 1 in 4 do not know how concussion is treated
- 15% can identify the best ways to treat concussion
- 4 in 10 know how to find information and other resources
Parents, coaches, athletes, school staff and health professionals need to:
- keep up to date on how to recognise and diagnose a concussion
- be aware of the Canadian guideline and concussion protocols for returning to school and sports
What Canadian youth know about concussions
Public opinion research with youth, ages 5-19, shows that:
- 9 in 10 understand that someone does not have to pass out to have a concussion
- 8 in 10 have little or no knowledge of concussion
- 7 in 10 identify that a concussion is a hit to the head that causes headache or blurry sight
- Canadian youth know very little about where to obtain concussion information or who is responsible for identifying a concussion and how to treat it.
- 7 in 10 incorrectly believe wearing a helmet will prevent a concussion
- 6 in 10 believe a harder blow results in a more severe concussion
- 4 in 10 think they should stop taking pain relief medication if they suffered a concussion
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