scholarly journals National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Management of Acute Skin Trauma

2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (12) ◽  
pp. 1053-1070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel W. Beam ◽  
Bernadette Buckley ◽  
William R. Holcomb ◽  
Mario Ciocca

Objective:  To present recommendations for the cleansing, debridement, dressing, and monitoring of acute skin trauma in patients. Background:  Acute skin trauma is common during participation in athletic and recreational activities. Clinical decisions and intervention protocols after injury vary among athletic trainers and are often based on ritualistic practices. An understanding of cleansing, debridement, and dressing techniques; clinical features of infection and adverse reactions; and monitoring of acute skin trauma is critical for certified athletic trainers and other allied health and medical professionals to create a local wound environment that promotes healing and lessens the risk of complications. Recommendations:  These guidelines are intended to provide the certified athletic trainer and others participating in athletic health care with specific knowledge about and recommendations for the management of acute skin trauma.

2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 640-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Cappaert ◽  
Jennifer A. Stone ◽  
John W. Castellani ◽  
Bentley Andrew Krause ◽  
Daniel Smith ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: To present recommendations for the prevention, recognition, and treatment of environmental cold injuries. Background: Individuals engaged in sport-related or work-related physical activity in cold, wet, or windy conditions are at risk for environmental cold injuries. An understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology, risk management, recognition, and immediate care of environmental cold injuries is an essential skill for certified athletic trainers and other health care providers working with individuals at risk. Recommendations: These recommendations are intended to provide certified athletic trainers and others participating in athletic health care with the specific knowledge and problem-solving skills needed to address environmental cold injuries. Each recommendation has been graded (A, B, or C) according to the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy criterion scale.


2013 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackie L. Buell ◽  
Rob Franks ◽  
Jack Ransone ◽  
Michael E. Powers ◽  
Kathleen M. Laquale ◽  
...  

Objectives To help athletic trainers promote a “food-first” philosophy to support health and performance, understand federal and sport governing body rules and regulations regarding dietary supplements and banned substances, and become familiar with reliable resources for evaluating the safety, purity, and efficacy of dietary supplements. Background The dietary supplement industry is poorly regulated and takes in billions of dollars per year. Uneducated athletes need to gain a better understanding of the safety, eligibility, and efficacy concerns associated with choosing to take dietary supplements. The athletic trainer is a valuable athletic team member who can help in the educational process. In many cases, athletic trainers are asked to help evaluate the legality, safety, and efficacy of dietary supplements. For this position statement, our mission is to provide the athletic trainer with the necessary resources for these tasks. Recommendations Proper nutrition and changes in the athlete's habitual diet should be considered first when improved performance is the goal. Athletes need to understand the level of regulation (or lack thereof) governing the dietary supplement industry at the international, federal, state, and individual sport-participation levels. Athletes should not assume a product is safe simply because it is marketed over the counter. All products athletes are considering using should be evaluated for purity (ie, truth in labeling), safety, and efficacy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (8) ◽  
pp. 796-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
William A. Pitney ◽  
Ashley Goodman ◽  
Christianne M. Eason ◽  
Scott Spak ◽  
...  

Objective: To illustrate the concept of work-life balance and those factors that influence it and to provide recommendations to facilitate work-life balance in athletic training practice settings. To present the athletic trainer with information regarding work-life balance, including those factors that negatively and positively affect it within the profession.Background: Concerns for work-life balance have been growing within the health care sector, especially in athletic training, as it is continuously linked to professional commitment, burnout, job satisfaction, and career longevity. The term work-life balance reflects those practices used to facilitate the successful fulfillment of the responsibilities associated with all roles one may assume, including those of a parent, spouse, partner, friend, and employee. A host of organizational and individual factors (eg, hours worked, travel demands, flexibility of work schedules, relationship status, family values) negatively influence the fulfillment of work-life balance for the athletic trainer, but practical strategies are available to help improve work-life balance, regardless of the practice setting.Recommendations: This position statement is charged with distributing information on work-life balance for athletic trainers working in a variety of employment settings. Recommendations include a blend of organizational and personal strategies designed to promote work-life balance. Establishing work-life balance requires organizations to have formal policies that are supported at the departmental and personal level, in addition to informal policies that reflect the organizational climate of the workplace. Individuals are also encouraged to consider their needs and responsibilities in order to determine which personal strategies will aid them in attaining work-life balance.


2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley Jacobson ◽  
Michael Cendoma ◽  
Jacob Gdovin ◽  
Kevin Cooney ◽  
Dustin Bruening

Context The National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement on acute management of the cervical spine-injured athlete recommended the all-or-nothing endeavor, which involves removing or not removing both helmet and shoulder pads, from equipment-laden American football and ice hockey athletes. However, in supporting research, investigators have not considered alternative protocols. Objective To measure cervical spine movement (head relative to sternum) produced when certified athletic trainers (ATs) use the all-or-nothing endeavor and to compare these findings with the movement produced using an alternative pack-and-fill protocol, which involves packing the area under and around the cervical neck and head with rolled towels. Design Crossover study. Setting Movement analysis laboratory. Patients or Other Participants Eight male collegiate football players (age = 21.4 ± 1.4 years; height = 1.87 ± 0.02 m; mass = 103.6 ± 12.5 kg). Intervention(s) Four ATs removed equipment under 4 conditions: removal of helmet only followed by placing the head on the ground (H), removal of the helmet only followed by pack-and-fill (HP), removal of the helmet and shoulder pads followed by placing the head on the ground (HS), and removal of the helmet and shoulder pads followed by pack-and-fill (HSP). Motion capture was used to track the movement of the head with respect to the sternum during equipment removal. Main Outcome Measure(s) We measured head movement relative to sternum movement (translations and rotations). We used 4 × 4 analyses of variance with repeated measures to compare discrete motion variables (changes in position and total excursions) among protocols and ATs. Results Protocol HP resulted in a 0.1 ± 0.6 cm rise in head position compared with a 1.4 ± 0.3 cm drop with protocol HS (P < .001). Protocol HP produced 4.9° less total angular excursion (P < .001) and 2.1 cm less total vertical excursion (P < .001) than protocol HS. Conclusions The pack-and-fill protocol was more effective than shoulder pad removal in minimizing cervical spine movement throughout the equipment-removal process. This study provides evidence for including the pack-and-fill protocol in future treatment recommendations when helmet removal is necessary for on-field care.


2010 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 411-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven M. Zinder ◽  
Rodney S. W. Basler ◽  
Jack Foley ◽  
Chris Scarlata ◽  
David B. Vasily

Abstract Objective: To present recommendations for the prevention, education, and management of skin infections in athletes. Background: Trauma, environmental factors, and infectious agents act together to continually attack the integrity of the skin. Close quarters combined with general poor hygiene practices make athletes particularly vulnerable to contracting skin diseases. An understanding of basic prophylactic measures, clinical features, and swift management of common skin diseases is essential for certified athletic trainers to aid in preventing the spread of infectious agents. Recommendations: These guidelines are intended to provide relevant information on skin infections and to give specific recommendations for certified athletic trainers and others participating in athletic health care.


2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (12) ◽  
pp. 1286-1291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel L. Weitzel ◽  
Michael G. Miller ◽  
Erin R. Giannotta ◽  
Catherine J. Newman

Context Parents play a crucial role in determining medical services for their children, and it is important they understand the scope of practice and skills of the athletic trainer (AT). Objective To understand parents' perceptions and knowledge of the skills and job requirements of the secondary school AT. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Sport meetings and banquets at 5 high schools in southwest Michigan during the fall, winter, and spring seasons. Patients or Other Participants A total of 539 parents whose children competed in at least 1 high school sport participated. Data Collection and Analysis A Parents' Perceptions and Knowledge of Certified Athletic Trainers Survey consisting of 32 questions, divided into 3 sections (demographics, perceptions, and knowledge), was developed and given to parents of high school athletes. One-way analyses of variance were used to determine significance among 3 categories of experience and perception and knowledge of ATs. Results Of the 539 parents who responded, 28% responded yes, and 72% responded no to having experience with an AT for their own injuries. When asked if they had experience with an AT due to their child's injuries, 60% responded yes. We found a difference among the 3 categories of experience for perception scores (P = .002) and knowledge scores (P < .001). Conclusions In the absence of past experience with an AT, parents' perceptions and knowledge of the skills and job requirements of the secondary school AT are limited. Athletic trainers should educate parents on their professional roles, which may enhance their ability to provide better health care.


2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 400-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey Covassin ◽  
Robert Elbin ◽  
Jennifer L. Stiller-Ostrowski

Abstract Various consensus and position statements recommend a multifaceted approach when diagnosing a possible concussion. The effectiveness of these materials depends largely on their content being disseminated to educators and to those in the clinical setting.Context: To identify the concussion management methods and guidelines currently taught in the athletic training classroom and clinical settings and to track the dissemination of the Vienna guidelines throughout the educational curriculum.Objective: A 17-question Internet survey.Design: A Web link was e-mailed to the program directors and certified athletic trainers holding educational positions in athletic training at 300 accredited programs in the United States.Setting: 513 program directors and athletic trainers.Patients or Other Participants: Survey questions addressed education level, years of certification, employment setting, concussion assessment and return-to-play guidelines used in the clinical setting and the classroom, and clinical and teaching preferences for existing position statements and concussion grading systems. The Vienna guidelines' “simple” and “complex” definitions of concussions were provided with the return-to-play stepwise approach.Main Outcome Measure(s): The National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement was the most widely used method of assessing, managing (61%), and making return-to-play decisions (47%) among participants. More than half of participants (66%) had never heard of the Vienna guidelines. After reading the Vienna guidelines' definitions and return-to-play criteria, nearly three-fourths of participants agreed with them. In addition, 68% said that they would use them, and 84% reported that they would teach them to students.Results: The majority of program directors and certified athletic trainers used a multidimensional approach to assess and manage a concussion. The National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement and Vienna guidelines were underused in both the classroom and clinical settings.Conclusions:


2011 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 672-679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scot Raab ◽  
Brent D. Wolfe ◽  
Trenton E. Gould ◽  
Scott G. Piland

Context: Didactic proficiency does not ensure clinical aptitude. Quality athletic health care requires clinical knowledge and affective traits. Objective: To develop a grounded theory explaining the constructs of a quality certified athletic trainer (AT). Design: Delphi study. Setting: Interviews in conference rooms or business offices and by telephone. Patients or Other Participants: Thirteen ATs (men = 8, women = 5) stratified across the largest employment settings (high school, college, clinical) in the 4 largest districts of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (2, 3, 4, 9). Data Collection and Analysis: Open-ended interview questions were audio recorded, transcribed, and reviewed before condensing. Two member checks ensured trustworthiness. Open coding reduced text to descriptive adjectives. Results: We grouped adjectives into 5 constructs (care, communication, commitment, integrity, knowledge) and grouped these constructs into 2 higher-order constructs (affective traits, effective traits). Conclusions: According to participants, ATs who demonstrate the ability to care, show commitment and integrity, value professional knowledge, and communicate effectively with others can be identified as quality ATs. These abilities facilitate the creation of positive relationships. These relationships allow the quality AT to interact with patients and other health care professionals on a knowledgeable basis that ultimately improves health care delivery. Our resulting theory supported the examination of characteristics not traditionally assessed in an athletic training education program. If researchers can show that these characteristics develop ATs into quality ATs (eg, those who work better with others, relate meaningfully with patients, and improve the standard of health care), they must be cultivated in the educational setting.


2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (12) ◽  
pp. 1117-1128
Author(s):  
Susan L. Rozzi ◽  
Jeffrey M. Anderson ◽  
Scott T. Doberstein ◽  
Joseph J. Godek ◽  
Langdon A. Hartsock ◽  
...  

Objective To provide certified athletic trainers (ATs) with recommendations and guidelines for the immediate management of patients with joint dislocations. Background One of the primary responsibilities of ATs is to provide immediate injury care for active individuals. Although ATs are confronted with managing patients who have many kinds of injuries, the onsite management of a joint dislocation presents challenges in evaluation and immediate treatment. The critical concern in managing a dislocation is deciding when a joint can be reduced onsite and when the patient should be splinted and transported for reduction to be performed in the hospital or medical setting. Factors that influence the decision-making process include the following: whether the AT possesses a documented protocol that is supported by his or her supervising physician(s), employer documents, and respective state regulations; the AT's qualifications and experience; the dislocated joint; whether the dislocation is first time or recurrent; the patient's age and general health; and whether associated injuries are present. Recommendations These guidelines are intended to provide considerations for the initial care of specific joint dislocations. They are not intended to represent the standard of care and should not be interpreted as a standard of care for therapeutic or legal discussion.


2011 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara C. Valovich McLeod ◽  
Laura C. Decoster ◽  
Keith J. Loud ◽  
Lyle J. Micheli ◽  
J. Terry Parker ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: To provide certified athletic trainers, physicians, and other health care professionals with recommendations on best practices for the prevention of overuse sports injuries in pediatric athletes (aged 6–18 years). Background: Participation in sports by the pediatric population has grown tremendously over the years. Although the health benefits of participation in competitive and recreational athletic events are numerous, one adverse consequence is sport-related injury. Overuse or repetitive trauma injuries represent approximately 50% of all pediatric sport-related injuries. It is speculated that more than half of these injuries may be preventable with simple approaches. Recommendations: Recommendations are provided based on current evidence regarding pediatric injury surveillance, identification of risk factors for injury, preparticipation physical examinations, proper supervision and education (coaching and medical), sport alterations, training and conditioning programs, and delayed specialization.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document