Nausea orvomiting
DrowsinessDizziness•••“Don’t feel right”

Fatigue or
low energy••

Sensitivity
to noiseSensitivity to light

Blurred vision•••

Assessment for a spinal
cord injury is critical.

•Do not attempt to move the player(other than required for airwaysupport) unless trained to so do.
Do not remove a helmet or
any other equipment unlesstrained to do so safely.

•Deteriorating
conscious state
Vomiting
Increasingly restless,agitated or combative••••

Lying motionless on
the playing surface

Slow to get up aftera direct or indirect
hit to the head•

•Blank or vacant look•© Concussion in Sport Group 2017

Disorientation orconfusion, or an inability
to respond appropriately
to questions•••

Visual clues that suggest possible concussion include:

STEP 2: OBSERVABLE SIGNS

Facial injury afterhead trauma

Balance, gait difficulties,
motor incoordination,
stumbling, slow
laboured movements

If there are no Red Flags, identification of possible concussion should proceed to the following steps:

In all cases, the basic principles
of first aid (danger, response,airway, breathing, circulation)
should be followed.

Severe or increasing
headache
Seizure or convulsion
Loss of consciousness•Neck pain or tenderness •Double vision•
Weakness or tingling/burning in arms or legs •Remember:•••

Not drink alcohol.
Not use recreational/ prescription drugs.
Not be sent home by themselves. They need to be with a responsible adult.
Not drive a motor vehicle until cleared to do so by a healthcare professional.

•••© Concussion in Sport Group 2017

ANY ATHLETE WITH A SUSPECTED CONCUSSION SHOULD BE
IMMEDIATELY REMOVED FROM PRACTICE OR PLAY AND SHOULD
NOT RETURN TO ACTIVITY UNTIL ASSESSED MEDICALLY, EVEN
IF THE SYMPTOMS RESOLVEThe CRT5 may be freely copied in its current form for distribution to individuals, teams, groups
and organisations. Any revision and any reproduction in a digital form requires approval bythe Concussion in Sport Group. It should not be altered in any way, rebranded or sold forcommercial gain.

Not be left alone initially (at least for the first 1-2 hours).

“Did your team win
the last game?”“What team did you playlast week/game?”

Feeling like“in a fog“••••Feeling slowed
down

Difficulty
remembering••

Difficulty
concentrating••Athletes with suspected concussion should:“Who scored lastin this game?”“Which half is it now?”••

Neck Pain

Nervous or
anxious

SadnessMore Irritable

More emotional“What venue are
we at today?”If there is concern after an injury including whether ANY of the following signs areobserved or complaints are reported then the player should be safely and immediately
removed from play/game/activity. If no licensed healthcare professional is available,
call an ambulance for urgent medical assessment:

••••

•

•

Failure to answer any ofthese questions (modifiedappropriately for eachsport) correctly maysuggest a concussion:

STEP 1: RED FLAGS — CALL AN AMBULANCESTEP 4: MEMORY ASSESSMENT

Balance problems“Pressure in head”••

Headache•

STEP 3: SYMPTOMS(IN ATHLETES OLDER THAN 12 YEARS)Head impacts can be associated with serious and potentially fatal brain injuries. The Concussion Recognition Tool
5 (CRT5) is to be used for the identification of suspected concussion. It is not designed to diagnose concussion.

RECOGNISE & REMOVE

Supported by

To help identify concussion in children, adolescents and adults

CONCUSSION RECOGNITION TOOL 5 ©

BJSM Online First, published on April 26, 2017 as 10.1136/bjsports-2017-097508CRT5

Downloaded from http://bjsm.bmj.com/ on December 8, 2017 - Published by group.bmj.com

To download a clean version of the SCAT tools please visit the journal online (http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097508CRT5)

Davis GA, et al. Br J Sports Med 2017;0:1. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097508CRT5© Concussion in Sport Group 2017

Copyright Article author (or their employer) 2017. Produced by BMJ Publishing Group Ltd under licence.

1

Downloaded from http://bjsm.bmj.com/ on December 8, 2017 - Published by group.bmj.com

Concussion recognition tool 5©

Br J Sports Med published online April 26, 2017

Updated information and services can be found at:
http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2017/04/26/bjsports-2017-097508C
RT5.citation

These include:

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