Primary injury survey

• Airway- Open the victim’s by tilting the head back and lifting the chin, unless spinal injury is suspected, where the jaw-thrust technique is safer.

• Breathing- Listen, look, and feel for breathing. If the victim is not breathing, give two breaths and check for circulation.

• Circulation- Check for signs of circulation such as breathing, coughing, or movement in response to the breaths. If there are no signs, start chest compressions.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

• Only individuals properly trained and certified in CPR should practice this application.

• The Good Samaritan law protects most helpers from legal actions brought against them, but not if the helper performs procedures for which he or she is not properly trained.

• For those trained in CPR, the American Heart Association provides guidelines, recommending that rescuers phone 911 for unresponsive adults before giving CPR, provide one minute of CPR for infants and children to the age of eight before calling 911, begin chest compressions in the absence of circulation signs, giving about 100 compressions per minute for a person over 8 years old, at a ratio of 15 compressions to 2 breaths. Chest compression-only CPR is recommended only when the rescuer is unwilling or unable to perform mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing.

Secondary Injury Survey

• Take your time and be thorough, ruling out the most serious injuries first.

• Gather history before touching the athlete. Question others who witnessed the incident.– What happened? Body part injured; description of injury.– When did the injury occur?– What factors influenced the injury? Speed, Direction of force,

twisting, hyperextension.– Was a sound heard? Was it a pop, snap, rip?– Where is the pain: located now, has it changed?– Describe the pain: sharp, dull, stabbing, throbbing?– Prior history?– Is there instability?– Neurological function intact? Numbness, weakness, paralysis.

Ligamentous Laxity

• Degree of looseness in the ligaments of a joint.• A sprain can then be graded I,II, or III. A Grade

III sprain or complete tear will require prompt referral to an orthopedic surgeon for repair.

• Special tests and examinations, such as the Lachman Anterior Drawer Test for the anterior cruciate ligament, may be necessary to establish the degree of injury.

Referral

• An athlete medical referral form from the certified athletic trainer taken to the doctor allows accurate communication between the training staff and the physician’s office.