Article Text
Abstract
Objective King-Devick test as a rinkside tool for concussion diagnosis.
Design KD was administered to hockey players immediately after removal from the game with a suspected concussion. Results were compared to baseline. Concussion was suspected with slowing by >5.2 sec.1
Setting Hockey games.
Participants Hockey players (male/female) – school-based hockey academy and a Canadian junior hockey team
Interventions Athletic trainers were trained in the use of KD and obtained baseline KD times for players. AT’s administered the KD test to hockey players immediately after removal from the game with a suspected concussion.
Main outcome measures KD time post-injury was compared to the KD time baseline.
Results During the 2015–16 season, KD testing was collected on players with suspected concussion (42 concussions identified out of 148 players). Of the 42 concussions, 13 had KD sideline testing done immediately post-injury; 8/13 demonstrated >5.2 sec slowing in their KD baseline scores. All were further evaluated with a comprehensive concussion assessment protocol that included symptom scoring-balance assessments-cognitive testing. Concussion was confirmed with this diagnostic approach in 8/8 players with KD times slowed by more than 5.2 sec.
Conclusions An ideal concussion sideline diagnostic tool should be inexpensive, portable, reproducible, fatigue-tolerant, resistant to test-retest learning and suitable for non-medical personnel.2,3 The King-Devick test, that assesses saccadic eye movements, has these characteristics. It can be administered in less than 2-minutes. It has been reported that a post-injury slowing of KD times >5.2 seconds is diagnostic of concussion.4 Sideline/rinkside KD testing with > 5.2 sec slowing compared to baseline results accurately identified concussion with 100% accuracy.