Sports training researchers are changing emergency plans in sports

A national statement from a West Virginia University athletic training researcher on developing and implementing emergency preparedness plans in sports sets new priorities for responding to catastrophic injuries. The recommendations apply to sports at all levels, from youth to high school to college and professional leagues.

“The ultimate goal of this position statement is to reduce unnecessary deaths from sports participation. We want this document to save more lives,” said Samantha Scarneo-Miller, assistant professor and program director of the Master of Science in Athletic Training program at the WVU School of Medicine, who is the lead author of the position statement.

Scarneo-Miller was hired by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) to update the organization’s 22-year-old document. The statement has been revised and now recommends the appointment of an emergency plan coordinator to work with other sports staff, expanding venue-specific plans to include variables for each sport and comprehensive documentation of incidents.

The most common causes of serious sports injuries are cardiac arrest, heat stroke due to physical exertion, traumatic head injuries and cervical spine injuries.

Published in Magazine for sports training, The statement provides a framework for the development and implementation of emergency plans, including recommendations for the preparedness and emergency response of healthcare professionals and other stakeholders on site to catastrophic or potentially catastrophic injuries in the prehospital setting.

The position paper includes several updates and recommendations. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, it offers general guidelines that teams can adapt to their specific circumstances and best use of resources.

This includes the integration of a pre-event medical meeting, an information session formerly known as a “medical time out” that takes place before a competition and provides details on emergency procedures and signals, as well as equipment locations.

The new document expands on previous guidelines that focused on venue-specific contingency plans and suggests taking into account the different requirements of different sports in terms of the capabilities of assigned personnel and any changes to facilities, such as new construction.

“Having a plan just for the facility is no longer enough,” Scarneo-Miller said. “A facility may be used by different teams with different personnel. We need a sport- and venue-specific contingency plan because coaches and staff have their own unique skills that they can contribute to activating the plan.”

It also emphasizes the importance of appointing an emergency response coordinator. It is suggested that this task be undertaken exclusively by the sports coaches and involve the collaboration of all sports personnel. The result would be a plan that is more effective in development and implementation.

“The statement emphasizes the importance of having an EAP coordinator supported by an interdisciplinary health care team,” Scarneo-Miller said. “While the athletic trainer is the one coordinating the plan, they have coaches, administrators, physicians and athletes who need to be involved in reviewing and implementing the plan. We’re really trying to make it clear to athletic trainers that they have so many other resources that they may not be utilizing.”

The statement’s systematic approach focuses on the evolving medical science and was formulated with input from professionals in a variety of fields, including sports medicine physicians and athletic trainers from a variety of backgrounds. It is the first statement developed under NATA’s new procedures and emphasizes an objective approach to selecting the author team, taking into account diversity in terms of gender, race, location, specialty and setting.

“Until now, clinicians have not been authors of position papers because the documents have been heavily focused on the latest research that clinicians can use,” Scarneo-Miller said. “But NATA is strongly committed to ensuring that clinicians’ voices are heard in the development of these recommendations because they are the ones who will translate this document into clinical practice.”

Scarneo-Miller stressed the importance of presenting this new statement. “We invite stakeholders and partners to adopt these important recommendations and work together to create a culture of preparedness and safety that protects and benefits our athletes.”

Scarneo-Miller’s presentation of the statement was part of NATA’s 75th Clinical Symposia and AT Expo, June 25-28 in New Orleans.