Syncope following neck trauma in a football player

A college football player sustained a contusion to his anterior neck, over the carotid artery. Less than a minute later he fainted, then experienced episodes of postural dizziness with bradycardia and hypotension. He completely recovered within 3 hours from the time of injury. An unusual but possible cause of this patient's syncopal episode is posttraumatic carotid sinus syncope. This case illustrates the importance of checking vital signs in any athlete who experiences loss of consciousness, and that its occurrence in a collision sport is not always caused by a concussion.