ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Aug. 24, 2015
/PRNewswire/ -- With students heading back to school and the
fall sports season approaching, surprising new data from Abbott's
Concussion IQ Survey reveals that a large number of adults in
the United States lack basic
understanding about concussion signs and symptoms, risk and
treatment.
Every minute, approximately four people in the U.S. experience a
concussion,1 yet it is estimated that up to 50 percent
of all mild brain injuries go unreported.2 Knowing about
concussion and getting diagnosed early is key to getting the right
treatment for a person to recover and better their chances to
return safely to activities they most enjoy.
The survey, conducted by KRC Research in partnership with
Abbott, the global healthcare company, polled more than 1,000
adults in the U.S. (over the age of 18) and aimed to understand
general awareness and perceptions of concussion. The key findings
include:
- Adults are five times more likely to seek medical attention for
a broken bone compared to if they thought they had a
concussion.
- Six in 10 adults don't understand that treating a concussion
includes mental rest, which may mean limiting time spent on cell
phones, watching TV and other activities that could worsen
symptoms.
- More than 80 percent of adults believe a person should not
sleep and be woken up periodically after being diagnosed with a
concussion.
- 64 percent of adults say they did not seek medical attention
the last time they hit their head very hard, but 9 in 10 people
would seek medical attention for a child.
- Almost 70 percent of parents would not send their child to
school the day after they hit their head very hard, but over half
say they would still go to work or school themselves after a hard
hit to the head.
"Based on the survey results, it is clear there is a need to
build more awareness and understanding about concussion," says Dr.
Beth McQuiston, board-certified
neurologist and medical director, Diagnostics, Abbott. "Parents,
athletes, coaches and beyond need to be able to recognize signs of
concussion to help people seek proper care and rest."
KNOW THE FACTS ABOUT CONCUSSION
Concussions, also called mild traumatic brain injuries, occur
when an external force shakes or jostles the brain inside the
skull. They can be invisible injuries, and many of the symptoms can
be confused with other conditions such as dehydration or not
getting enough sleep. Although they can vary, common signs of
concussion can include dizziness, blurred vision, balance problems,
nausea, vomiting, fatigue and increased anxiety or
irritability.
A common misconception is that a person will become unconscious
during a mild concussion, but in fact, most people do not lose
consciousness. According to the survey, many adults also believe
that a person should not sleep or should not be woken up during the
night after a concussion. However, sleep and rest are usually
recommended for those who have a brain injury.
"Quickly diagnosing a concussion is critical for doctors to
recommend appropriate treatment and minimize further injury," said
Dr. McQuiston. "However, you can't treat what you don't know."
Currently, there is no fool-proof way to diagnose a mild brain
injury, and while imaging such as CT scans can help, the majority
of these scans can appear normal even when an injury has occurred.
Because of this, many concussions go undiagnosed and
untreated.
To address this issue, Abbott is partnering with the U.S.
Department of Defense with the goal of developing a blood test
capable of evaluating potential concussions. Currently in
development, the test will be designed to detect specific proteins
in the blood associated with brain injury and will be used on
Abbott's i-STAT – a handheld, portable analyzer that is used to
perform a broad range of common blood tests.
About Abbott:
At Abbott (NYSE: ABT), we're committed to helping you live your
best possible life through the power of health. For more than 125
years, we've brought new products and technologies to the world --
in nutrition, diagnostics, medical devices and branded generic
pharmaceuticals -- that create more possibilities for more people
at all stages of life. Today, 73,000 of us are working to help
people live not just longer, but better, in the more than 150
countries we serve.
Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews and
@AbbottGlobal.
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Abbott
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Rachael Jarnagin, +1
(224) 668-6552
Darcy Ross, +1 (224)
667-3655
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Abbott
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1
http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html
2 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23243113
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SOURCE Abbott