Evaluating an
Injured Athlete
Field Exam
1. Do not move the
athlete.
Do not remove the helmet.
Do not use ammonia inhalants, which may cause the head to jerk from
the noxious
stimulus.
Do not give liquids or food.
Do not rush the evaluation.
Do not worry about delaying the game.
If the athlete is unresponsive, alert other medical personnel and
coaches, and call for an
ambulance. The medical staff should then proceed with CPR steps as
necessary. If the athlete is not breathing, start rescue breathing.
2. Evaluate mental
status, symptoms, mechanism of injury, rule out neck injury, give a
physical exam of injured area, slowly have athlete sit up,
reevaluate, help athlete walk to sidelines.
3.
The first responder at the scene of an athletic injury needs
to be able to recognize a life-threatening condition, provide
emergency care, and facilitate transportation to a medical facility
when indicated. An orderly, logical primary assessment on the field
can help identify serious conditions promptly and guide further
evaluation and treatment.
Courtesy of Ohio State University
http://amp.osu.edu
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