ABSTRACT
According to the data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, 446,788 sports-related head injuries were treated in U.S. emergency departments (EDs) in 2009. It can be safely assumed that considerably more were managed in an outpatient setting and even more were not reported to medical personnel.35 In that same study, cycling, football, baseball/softball, and water sports were found to be the sports most likely to lead to head injuries. Sports-related fatal head injuries are rare; concussions, however, are becoming more frequently diagnosed (Table 40.1).31
