British Columbia Medical Journal, October 2010 issue Please download or visit this entire issue online at http://www.bcmj.org/october-2010

1. comment
All in a day’s work (or perhaps a couple of weeks)
“ o, are you enjoying being short notice because of reporter dead- see more brain injury prevention pro-
S BCMA president? What is it
like?”
To frequent questions such as this,
lines. It can be quiet for several weeks
and then there will be a flurry of act-
ivity all in one day, usually when an
grams and more effective methods of
assessing brain injury in our emer-
gency departments. Regarding the lat-
I would say “fascinating, satisfying, issue grabs the media’s attention. ter, I am working on a pilot project
challenging, and more.” The BCMA Most reporters are respectful, howev- intended to improve the quality and
is a well-integrated group of teams er they do like to polarize the news to consistency of the assessment patients
including the Executive Office, Pro- increase the level of audience interest. receive when they present in BC hospi-
fessional Relations, Policy and Eco- tal emergency departments after trau-
nomics, Negotiations, Communica- matic brain injury. Our small group
tions, Finance, Benefits, and Member Most reporters are has met with interested and knowl-
Services. The work is varied and can respectful, however they edgeable experts, including represen-
change on very short notice. tatives from ICBC, and a second meet-
do like to polarize the
My practice is compressed into 2 ing is forthcoming to discuss a draft
days per week with the remaining time news to increase the assessment flowchart, intake forms,
spent at the BCMA office. My patients level of audience patient information forms, and how to
and my office assistant, Rosemary, ensure good communication with the
interest.
have been very understanding and patient’s family doctor. We will then
supportive of my taking a turn at this decide on the appropriate terms of ref-
leadership. While president-elect, I was invit- erence for any committee work that
Once weekly, I meet with the sen- ed to speak to the BCMA staff. During will be carried forward and report that
ior staff of the BCMA to keep abreast the question period, someone asked if to the Board of Directors.
of Association issues, plus I have other I had a special project to undertake With respect to brain injury pre-
meetings with staff, physician mem- during my presidency. For some time vention, the BCMA’s resolution sup-
bers, government officials, and indi- I have had an interest in the comput- porting a ban on mixed martial arts
viduals from stakeholder organiza- erized assessment of cognitive ability (MMA) fighting in Canada somehow
tions. Responding to e-mail and phone and have noticed that there is a wide came to the attention of a Vancouver
calls usually has to fit in around the variation in findings and that there are newspaper 2 weeks before it was to
other tasks. Media interview requests often long delays in the identification be brought to CMA’s General Council
can bump other plans and are often on of significant impairment. I’d like to Continued on page 390
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By BC physicians, for BC physicians
www.bcmj.org VOL. 52 NO. 8, OCTOBER 2010 BC MEDICAL JOURNAL 389

2. comment
Continued from page 389 brain injury. All sport has its own inher-
meeting. The story (and subsequent ent risks; however the intent of these
ones) generated a visceral reaction from competitive team sports is very differ- Recently
many MMA fans and a request to meet ent than the intent of MMA, plus these deceased
with an MMA representative. After players are padded and helmeted. And
our meeting, in which he wanted us to even though many sanctioned MMA physicians
withdraw our resolution, all we could fights have a physician ringside, his or he following physicians
agree upon was the common goal that
the incidence of brain injuries must be
reduced.
her presence will not fundamentally
reduce the risk of long-term brain
damage to a fighter, even if the physi-
T have died over the past
9 months; please consid-
er submitting a piece for our
cian does provide other worthwhile “In Memoriam” section in the
The sole intent in an ringside medical care. BCMJ if you knew the deceased
With the passing of this resolution well.
MMA fight is to disable at CMA’s general council meeting by
your opponent, which an 84% majority, it is now up to the Andrews, Dr William John
includes by inducing CMA to advocate for a ban with fed- Baldwin, Dr John Henry
eral legislators. In Canada, under Sec- Bartok, Dr Katalina
a brain injury. tion 83 of the Criminal Code, prize Boxall, Dr Ernest Alfred
fighting is illegal with exceptions made Brunton, Dr Lawrence Jackson
Not surprisingly, there was debate for boxing (which the CMA voted to Chen, Dr Ferdinand
at the BCMA caucus meeting when call for a national ban in 2002) and Chetwynd, Dr John Brian
this resolution was first introduced, events authorized by provincial sports Dudley, Dr John Howard
and even more debate at CMA’s Gen- commissions. MMA itself has been Duffy, Dr John Peter
eral Council when it was presented banned in six provinces and territo- Findlay, Dr Ian Douglas
for discussion. My argument among ries, however Ontario reversed its ban Goh, Dr Anthony Poh Seng
media, physicians, and interest groups in August after strong lobbying. Our Kalyanpur, Dr Vasant Raghav
has always been the concern with the role will be to provide expert opinion Lewis, Dr David John
degree of violence in this sport and the to government about the risks to brain MacDonald, Dr Alan Angus
risk for brain injury. The sole intent in health, if and when government de- Mackenzie, Dr Conrad
an MMA fight is to disable your oppo- cides to consider the Canadian Med- McAdam, Dr Ronald
nent, which includes by inducing a ical Association’s recommendation. McCannel, Dr John Arthur
brain injury. We know that repeated Debating this issue has been chal- McDaniel, Dr Bernard Minshull
brain injuries have long-term debilitat- lenging, eye opening, and at times Milobar, Dr Tony
ing effects. Continuing research also frustrating. But being president of the Penny, Dr Helen Angela
confirms the increased risk of neuro- BCMA means you don’t back down Percheson, Dr Peter Brady
degenerative disease, and at an earlier when the going gets tough. I am proud Pinkerton, Dr Alexander Clyde
age, after repeated concussion. We that I stuck to my principles and per- Puttick, Dr Michael Paul Ernest
would not be doing our job if we sisted in working with those who had Queree, Dr Terence Candlish
didn’t speak up on behalf of the brain objections, and in the end the position Selwood, Dr Michael
health of Canadians. of our caucus was validated by a large Smaill, Dr William Donald
Critics have wondered (somewhat majority of physician delegates at the Thomas, Dr Ifor Mackay
sardonically) why we haven’t also CMA’s annual meeting. Tucker, Dr Frederick Gordon
called for a ban on football, hockey, —Ian Gillespie, MD Van Schie, Dr Lisa
or baseball, as they too have a risk of BCMA President
390 BC MEDICAL JOURNAL VOL. 52 NO. 8, OCTOBER 2010 www.bcmj.org