Athletic Training Services

Introduction

Emergency situations may arise at anytime during athletic events. Expedient action must be taken in order to provide the best possible care to the athletes of emergency and/or life threatening conditions. The development and implementation of an emergency plan will help ensure that the best care will be provided.

Athletic organizations have a duty to develop an emergency plan that may be implemented immediately when necessary and to provide appropriate standards of health care to all sports participants. Hopefully, through careful pre-participation physical screenings, adequate medical coverage, safe practice and training techniques and other safety avenues, some potential emergencies may be averted. However, accidents and injuries are inherent with sports participation, and proper preparation on the part of the sports medicine team will enable each emergency situation to be managed properly.

Activating the EMS System

Making the Call:

• 9-1-1 (if available)
• Telephone numbers for local police, fire department, and ambulance service

Providing Information:

• Name, address, telephone number of the caller
• Number of athletes
• Condition of athlete(s)
• First aid treatment initiated by first responder
• Specific directions as needed to locate the emergency scene
• Other information as requested by dispatcher

Emergency Communication

Communication is the key to quick delivery of emergency care in athletic trauma situations. Athletic trainers and emergency medical personnel must work together to provide the best possible care to injured athletes. Communication prior to the event is a good way to establish boundaries and to build rapport between both groups of professionals. The most common method of communication is a public telephone. However, a cellular telephone is preferred if available. At any athletic venue, whether home or away, it is important to know the location of a workable telephone. Pre-arranged access to the telephone should be established if it is not easily accessible.

Emergency Equipment

All necessary emergency equipment should be at the site and quickly accessible. Personnel should be familiar with the function and operation of each type of emergency equipment. Equipment should be in good operating condition, and personnel must be trained in advance to use it properly. Emergency equipment should be checked on a regular basis and its use rehearsed by emergency personnel. The emergency equipment available should be appropriate for the level of training of the emergency medical providers.

Conclusion

The importance of being properly prepared when athletic emergencies arise cannot be stressed enough. An athlete’s survival may hinge on how well trained and prepared athletic healthcare providers are. It is prudent to invest athletic department “ownership” in the emergency plan by involving the athletic administration and sport coaches as well as sports medicine personnel. The emergency plan should be reviewed at least once a year with all athletic personnel, along with CPR and refresher training. Through development and implementation of the emergency plan, Wake Forest University helps ensure that the athlete will have the best care provided when an emergency situation does arise.

What is a concussion?

Sport-related concussion is a traumatic brain injury (TBI) induced by biomechanical forces. Several common features that may be utilized in clinically defining the nature of a concussion include:

• Concussions may be caused by a direct blow to the head, neck, face, or elsewhere with an impulsive force transmitted to the head and brain.
• Concussions typically results in the rapid onset of short lived impairment of neurological function that resolves spontaneously. However symptoms may evolve over several minutes, hours, or days.

• Concussions may result in neuropathological changes but the acute clinicals signs and symptoms largely reflect a functional disturbance rather than a structural injury. As such no abnormality is typically seen on standard imaging evaluations.
• Concussion may result in a range of clinical signs and symptoms and not all concussions will look alike. Resolution of the clinical and cognitive features typically follow a sequential course however symptoms can be prolonged and each case will be treated and evaluated on an individual basis.

For information from the CDC about getting back to your sport after a concussion, visit Return to Play.