Are You Sure? Really Sure?

Scenario #1

• A 16 year old soccer player went up for a header and collided head to head with another player.
• After the collision, he remained motionless for seconds, began conversing shortly thereafter, yet walked off the field under his own power.
• He “passed” a “sideline examination” and was returned to play! 

So coach, are you sure about that decision?

• A few minutes later he was slide tackled, did not hit his head, was removed from the field because he said he had a headache and nausea.
• He then vomited on the sidelines multiple times before he “was taken” to the hospital.
• A CT scan was performed, an epidural hematoma was discovered, and he was airlifted to a trauma center.
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30928598

Scenario #2

• During a high school football game after a tackle the player could not move for a few seconds but then was able to move his legs and roll onto his back.
• The team physician evaluated him on the field for 15 minutes, removed his helmet, got the player into a seated position and then escorted him off the field.

Was removing the helmet and escorting the player off the field the right thing to do?

• The athlete complained of nausea, the physician called 9-1-1, and the athlete was transported to the hospital.
• Both regular X-rays and a CT scan were “negative.” The athlete was given pain medication, a cervical soft collar, and an arm sling, sent home and told to follow up in 3-4 days.
• Upon follow-up an MRI was ordered which revealed an epidural hematoma and a spinal cord contusion.
• In court, the team physician admitted in retrospect that he should “have put [the plaintiff] in a backboard on the field.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3899900/

In both these cases MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS made the WRONG decision. Since most of you do not have medical professionals on the sidelines, what decisions are you going to make? Do you have a field side tool that will train you/guide you and enable you to document and communicate these decisions?

In The News

'A huge loss:' Waukesha community mourns death of three-sport student athlete. Last week, the junior “got a little tired, took a little break, and unfortunately collapsed.” Read story here.

Utah college football player dies after injuring leg at practice. A college football player in Utah died from hyponatremia days after he suffered a leg injury at practice. Read story here.

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Schedule a free 30 minute safety and risk assessment with Dr. Steve Horwitz, CEO and Founder of TeamSafe​®Sports and prepare today!

Click here: calendly.com/drstevenhorwitz

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