Head and neck sports injuries: on-field management
An on-field sporting injury to the head or neck can potentially be very serious and such injuries need to be managed effectively, quickly and safely. If a player is unconscious or cannot move, the most important aspects of treatment will be spinal precautions and resuscitation. Assessment and treatment of these injuries is best performed by medical personnel.
Emergency procedures
- Call 000 for an ambulance immediately.
- Check that the player is not at risk of further injury and whether they are responding to stimuli (e.g. talking, responding to pain). Check the player’s breathing and pulse.
- If the player is not breathing and has no pulse, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). CPR involves mouth-to-mouth breathing and external heart massage through the chest.
- If the player is breathing but not moving, DO NOT MOVE the person. Only when spinal injury has been ruled out by medical personnel should the player be moved.
Concussion
(temporary loss of awareness or consciousness caused by a blow to the head)- The symptoms of a concussive head injury may include headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea and loss of consciousness. The player should be taken off the field of play to rest and should be monitored closely.
- If the player experiences persistent vomiting or complains of an increasingly painful headache they should be taken to hospital immediately.
- If the player is unconscious for more than 5 minutes or if they experience a post-traumatic seizure or fit, they should be taken to hospital immediately.
- As symptoms subside, the player should rest, should not drink alcohol or take drugs, should not drive and should remain supervised until symptoms have disappeared fully.
- Only if the symptoms disappear fully and the player has been assessed by medical personnel should he or she return to the field.
Facial fractures
- Facial swelling, bruising, deformity, difficulty of facial movement and pain are all signs of a broken nose, cheekbone or mid-face. The player should be taken off the field and an ice-pack should be applied to the injury to minimise swelling before the player is taken to hospital for further treatment.
- If the player cannot bite or completely close their mouth, they may have sustained a fractured jaw bone. The player should be temporarily bandaged around the jaw and head to prevent movement before being transported to hospital.
- In cases of facial fracture where cervical spine injury has been excluded by medical personnel, the player should be seated upright in a forward-leaning position to allow drainage of blood and fluids.
Eye injury
- Symptoms of eye injury include obscured or blurred vision, pain and mismatched pupil size.
- The player should be taken off the field and transported to hospital for further treatment.
- If the player is experiencing sensations of flashing lights, blackness or the sense of a curtain falling in front of the eye, they may be suffering retinal damage and should also be taken to hospital immediately. In such cases, eye patches (if available) should be placed over both eyes.
Last Reviewed: 06 February 2006
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