This paper presents the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5th Edition (SCAT5), which is the most recent revision of a sport concussion evaluation tool for use by healthcare professionals in the acute evaluation of suspected concussion. The revision of the SCAT3 (first published in 2013) culminated in the SCAT5. The revision was based on a systematic review and synthesis of current research, public input and expert panel review as part of the 5th International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport held in Berlin in 2016. The SCAT5 is intended for use in those who are 13 years of age or older. The Child SCAT5 is a tool for those aged 5-12 years, which is discussed elsewhere.

This sample of high school players showed a limited knowledge of the concussion guidelines covering their sport, and even when concussed did not follow recommended protocols. This indicates the need for an increased focus on player education.

Objectives Several iterations of the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) have been published over the past 16 years. Our goal was to systematically review the literature related to the SCAT and provide recommendations for improving the tool. To achieve this goal, five separate but related searches were conducted and presented herein. Design Systematic literature review. Data sources Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, SPORTDiscus and PubMed. Eligibility criteria Original, empirical, peer-reviewed findings published in English and included sports-related concussion (SRC). Review papers, case studies, editorials and conference proceedings/abstracts were excluded. The age range for the ChildSCAT was 5-12 years and for the Adult SCAT was 13 years and above. Results Out of 2961 articles screened, a total of 96 articles were included across the five searches. Searches were not mutually exclusive. The final number of articles included in the qualitative synthesis for each search was 21 on Adult SCAT, 32 on ChildSCAT, 21 on sideline, 8 on video/observation and 14 on oculomotor. Summary/conclusions The SCAT is the most widely accepted and deployable sport concussion assessment and screening tool currently available. There is some degree of support for using the SCAT2/SCAT3 and ChildSCAT3 in the evaluation of SRC, with and without baseline data. The addition of an oculomotor examination seems indicated, although the most valid method for assessing oculomotor function is not clear. Video-observable signs of concussion show promise, but there is insufficient evidence to warrant widespread use at this time. InTRODuCTIOnThe Concussion In Sport Group (CISG) introduced the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) 1 to provide a multifaceted standardised assessment of concussion. The SCAT combined previously separate subcomponents of a clinical evaluation, for example, symptoms (graded symptom checklist), cognitive function (five-word immediate recall/ delayed recall), the modified Maddocks questions 2 and neurological screening, in one tool. The SCAT was revised as an instrument to be used by medical professionals and was renamed to SCAT2. 3 The revision was based on a review of the empirical literature, which added the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) )4 , a cognitive test (Standardized Assessment of Concussion, SAC 5 6 ) and a measure of balance (modified Balance Error Scoring System, 7 mBESS). The SCAT2 was revised as the SCAT3 in 2013, 8 and a new tool for children (under 13) was developed, the ChildSCAT3. The SCAT3 included physical or objective signs of concussion in addition to loss of consciousness (LOC) and balance problems, added a foam condition to the BESS, and included a 'concussion injury advice' section. 9This study presents the results of a systematic review of the scientific literature assessing the utility of the SCAT3 and sets forth recommendations for improving the tool. MATERIAlS AnD METhODSThe searc...

The key messages from published concussion management guidelines have not reached community sports coaches and sports trainers. This needs to be redressed to maximise the safety of all of those involved in community sport.

The variability in the standard of concussion-related websites highlights the need for sports medicine website providers to consider the delivery, content and readability of information to the public.