Pulmonary Contusions in a Collegiate Football Player With Same-Game Return-to-Play

Pulmonary contusions are relatively common lung parenchymal injuries associated with high-energy thoracic trauma but have rarely been reported in sports participation. The most common symptoms include dyspnea and hemoptysis, but severe cases may develop hypoxemia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Diagnosis is confirmed with thoracic imaging and treatment is supportive care, with most pulmonary contusions resolving within a week. Limited information exists regarding return-to-play guidelines in athletes with pulmonary contusions. We present a case of a collegiate football player who sustained right-sided chest wall trauma during competition and was diagnosed with small bilateral pulmonary contusions in a unique coup-contrecoup distribution, identified via chest computed tomography (CT). The athlete had rapid symptom resolution and was able to return to play during the same competition. No previous reports have described immediate diagnosis and return to play within the same game.