In just a couple of weeks, many sports medicine physicians will head to the sideline for high school football.
In just a couple of weeks, many sports medicine physicians will head to the sideline for high school football. Although a low incident of catastrophic injuries occur in sports, an emergency action plan (EAP) can be the difference between life and death in the athlete. Sudden cardiac death accounts for the most deaths in young athletes.
In patients with a sudden cardiac event, the goal for first shock is less than 3 to 5 minutes. The National Athletic Trainers Association says that every organization that sponsors athletic activities MUST have an EAP. In 2013 published in the British Journal of Medicine, Jonathan Drezner looked at outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest in US high schools.
They enrolled 2149 high schools and looked at their emergency planning. They found that 83% of high schools had EAPs and 67% used local EMS to help create their EAP. We like to think that our first responders are trained physicians, but Drezner found the most frequent first responders were administrators followed by athletic trainers.
A well-planned EAP can improve survival no matter who responds to an event. Drezner showed that in schools with an EAP, 79% of sudden cardiac arrest athletes survived and 44% survival rate was seen in schools without an EAP. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on the emergency action plan (EAP) for collision sports, as high school football season is just around the corner.
However, an EAP should be present for every sport. Creating an EAP When creating an EAP, there are many samples available on the internet. The University of Connecticut Korey Stringer Institute has instructions on creating an emergency action plan.
If you are experiencing symptoms that may be related to creating an emergency action plan, it is important to see a sports medicine physician. Early evaluation and treatment typically lead to better outcomes. Do not ignore pain or symptoms that are limiting your activity.
*This article is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider.*
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