Objective:

To Highlight Neurologists' role in Sports Medicine and emphasize the importance of team dynamics in modern healthcare delivery.

Background:

A legal petition and matter of public record formulated by a former Division I football athlete against an unnamed undergraduate institution, its board of supervisors, and a regional medical center. 

The onset of his neurologic symptoms began in a recent fall football season, with syncope and emesis in the absence of a hit. The team athletic trainers treated him with family physician oversight. He was cleared to play despite the progression of his symptoms on day 2. He was then re-evaluated to rule out concussion using a software application and was cleared without physician oversight. On day 6, the athletic trainer diagnosed further symptoms of vertigo without team physician evaluation. Ultimately, a referral to a neurologist on day 38 revealed a brain tumor diagnosis via MRI with and without contrast. Pathology reported a medulloblastoma. 

One day after receiving his diagnosis, the coaching staff knew before either he or his family, and “emergent” surgery was performed. He eventually went on to have multiple strokes and now cannot take care of himself, play collegiate football, or complete undergraduate studies.

Design/Methods:

Used Perplexity AI for a medically oriented synopsis of the public lawsuit, which was more than a dozen pages of legal technical language.

Results:

NA

Conclusions:

In this case, much of the patient's suffering could have been resolved with a neurologist as part of the interdisciplinary team. Diagnosis and appropriate medical management would have been in place sooner. Had he been given autonomy over his medical care, seeking his own referral to a neurologist could have occurred in 35 days. The principles of autonomy and beneficence were breached. He was unable to appreciate the consequences of his surgery in a way he and his family could understand.