SCAT6©
It is well recognised in sports medicine that concussion is amongst the most complex injuries to diagnose, assess and manage. This is compounded by the fact that there is no perfect diagnostic tool or method for an immediate diagnosis of concussion.
Clinical diagnosis remains the gold standard.
The Sports Concussion Assessment Tool - 6th Edition (SCAT6©) is used to support the clinical diagnosis of a medical practitioner or healthcare professional. The SCAT6© should not be used as a stand-alone method to diagnose concussion, measure recovery, or make decisions about an athlete’s readiness to return to competition.
The SCAT6© is a multi-modal assessment tool designed for use by medical practitioners and healthcare professionals to support their clinical assessment. The SCAT6© includes:
Immediate Assessment/Neuro Screen:
- Box 1: Red Flags and Step 1: Observable Signs
- Step 2: Glasgow Coma Scale
- Step 3: Cervical Spine Assessment
- Step 4: Coordination & Ocular/Motor Screen
- Step 5: Memory Assessment Maddocks Questions
Off Field Assessment:
- Step 1: Athlete Background
- Step 2: Symptom Evaluation
- Step 3: Cognitive Screening
- Step 4: Coordination and Balance Examination
- Step 5: Delayed Recall
- Step 6: Decision
The SCAT6© is a standardised method for evaluating injured athletes for concussion and can be used for athletes aged 13 and above. For children aged 5 to 12 years, the Child SCAT6© should be used.
The SCAT6© is a standardised tool for evaluating concussions designed for use by Health Care Professionals in the acute phase, ideally within 72 hours (3 days), and up to 7 days, following injury, for athletes aged 13 and above. For children aged 12 years and younger, please use the Child SCAT6© should be used. If greater than 7 days post-injury, consider using the SCOAT6©/Child SCOAT6©.
Download SCAT6© as a printable Adobe PDF file
References to 'SCAT5' in the video content below should be replaced with SCAT6