Chapter 7 Emergency Plan and Initial Injury Evaluation

Emergency Plan Proper planning is essential to ensure appropriate initial first aid management of an injury. Failure to have an emergency plan is grounds for negligence.

Emergency Plan Components The emergency plan : Identifies personnel directly involved in carrying out the plan. Establishes a mechanism for communication. Incorporates local emergency care facilities.

Emergency Plan Components (cont.) The emergency plan : Specifies documentation needed to support plan implementation and evaluation. Is reviewed by the administration and legal counsel of the sponsoring organization or institution.

The Emergency Team Members of the emergency team are personnel directly involved in interscholastic sports programming (high school level), including:

Functions of Emergency Team Members Members of the emergency care team are responsible for: Immediate care of athlete. Activation of EMS, if necessary.

Emergency Plan Plan should be comprehensive and include: Procedures for both home and away events. Locations of phones (school personnel should have cell phones). Emergency phone numbers. Access points for EMS.

First Aid Training All personnel should be trained in basic _______, _____, & ____use. Training should be conducted by nationally recognized organizations, e.g., the American Heart Association. Personnel should have periodic “mock” emergency drills to rehearse the plan. © Phototdisc

Injury-Evaluation Procedures Coach’s responsibility is the immediate care of acute injury—this is ________. Coaches will be seen as “first responders” and should focus on providing care to the extent of their training. By law, coaches are most often held accountable for proper care when no physician or athletic trainer is present.

Injury-Evaluation Procedures Coaching personnel should have BLS training that focuses on life-threatening situations. Primary BLS skills are: Coaches must distinguish minor from major injuries.

Initial Check The initial check must include assessments of: –

Initial Check: Nervous System Is the athlete responsive? __________________ Alert and aware Verbal stimulus response Painful stimulus response Unresponsive to any stimulus

Initial Check: Nervous System (cont.) Is the athlete responsive? – If spinal or head injury is suspected, immobilize head and neck immediately.

Initial Check: Airway Assessment Ask athlete a simple question. A response indicates at that time the airway is ______ and _________ is adequate. If athlete is _________ and has no apparent serious head or spinal injuries: –Use head-tilt/chin lift method (___ ____ ______ helmet or face mask).

Initial Check: Airway Assessment (cont.) If the person is not breathing and spinal or head injury is suspected: -

Initial Assessment: Breathing Breathing Assessment Conscious athlete is breathing but must be monitored. Look, listen, and feel for air flow.

Initial Survey: Circulation Assessment Responsive athlete who is breathing will have signs of circulation. If athlete is unresponsive, breathing, coughing, and movement in response to rescue breaths are signs of circulation.

Initial Survey: Hemorrhage Assessment Most external bleeding is __________. Control with direct pressure, elevation, pressure points, and/or pressure bandage. -- Internal hemorrhage is difficult to detect.

Initial Survey: Hemorrhage Assessment (cont.) An early sign of internal hemorrhage is ______________ shock. Signs include:. Rapid shallow breathing.. Blue skin inside lips and under nail beds. Shock is a true medical emergency.

Physical Exam Observation Continually monitor for signs of breathing and circulation.. Note signs and symptoms relating to the injury..

Shock Signs and symptoms include:

Treating Shock Have athlete lie down (supine) with legs elevated about 8 to 12 inches. Cover the athlete with a blanket (if environment is such that loss of body heat is possible). If spinal injury is suspected, do not move the athlete.

Taking Medical History Keep questions simple and brief— “yes” or “no” answers. Use easy-to-understand terms; avoid questions leading to a preferred answer.. Ask athlete what happened. Ask if there were any strange sounds when injury occurred. If athlete is in pain, ask where it hurts. Present history to medical personnel.

Palpation Palpation: If practiced, is a useful skill to find deformity, spasm, swelling, etc. Should be performed carefully to avoid aggravating existing injuries. Begin with the uninjured limb, if the injury is to an extremity.

Removal from Field or Court If athlete is conscious and has no injuries that preclude walking, he or she may leave field under own power but with assistance. If athlete is unconscious or may have neck injury: Unless athlete is likely to be injured further, do not move prior to EMS arrival.

Return to Play? Athletes suffering from heat-related problems should be removed from participation and cleared for return only by a medical professional.

The Coach’s Limitations Coaches must take special care _____ to overstep the bounds of their training and expertise when managing an injury. Coaches should_____ provide first aid care and should avoid performing any procedure that is ______________________________ _________________________________.