![](https://momsteam.com/files/imagecache/front-featured-column/mt_videos/bobcantu4_2.jpg)
Second-impact
syndrome occurs when a high school athlete who sustains a head injury -
often a concussion or worse injury, such as a cerebral contusion
(bruised brain) - sustains a second head injury before symptoms
associated with the first injury have cleared. The condition, while
rare, causes a sharp increase in intracranial pressure that is almost
always fatal, says Dr. Robert Cantu.