Chapter 8 Handling Emergency Situations and Injury Assessment

CHAPTER 8
Handling Emergency Situations and
Injury Assessment
OVERVIEW
Most sports usually do not present many life and death emergency situations.
However, when an emergency does occur, staff members must recognize and treat
the injury or illness promptly and properly. Coaches and other support staff without
direct and immediate access to an emergency medical technician, physician, or
certified athletic trainer must have basic first aid knowledge and should be trained
in CPR.
It is important that the school and athletic department personnel have an
emergency action plan for every sport and their respective venues. Once this plan
has been developed, everyone that is involved with athletics should have a copy of
this plan, know his or her responsibilities, and have practiced the plan.
Life threatening injuries must be assessed using a primary survey. Once the
athlete is stabilized, a secondary survey should be performed to determine all
possible injuries. All unconscious athletes must be treated as if they have a head
and neck injury until proven otherwise. Shock must always be assumed.
Musculoskeletal injuries are very common in athletics. Once the injuries are
assessed, the staff members must make a decision to dial 911, access the rescue
squad, or remove the injured athlete from the playing field. Once the athlete is
removed from the field of play, PRICE should be initiated to control swelling.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After studying Chapter 8, the student should be able to:

Establish an emergency action plan.
Explain the steps involved in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to
manage an obstructed airway.
Explain how to treat an athlete that is conscious vs. unconscious and the steps
involved.
Describe the vital signs and normative data.
Explain the signs and symptoms of shock and how to appropriately treat this
condition.
Assess the types of shock and their management.
Describe the different types of splinting devices.
Describe the three techniques for controlling external hemorrhage.
Discuss the difference between the primary and secondary survey.
Explain PRICE and discuss the importance of controlling swelling during initial
injury management.
Describe the different techniques used in moving and transporting the injured
athlete.
Discuss the proper fitting of crutches and canes and proper ambulation
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Chapter 8 Handling Emergency Situations and Injury Assessment

techniques.

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Chapter 8 Handling Emergency Situations and Injury Assessment

KEY TERMINOLOGY

Ambulatory aid - The support or assistance given to an injured athlete who is

able to walk
Automated External Defibrillator A device that evaluates the heart rhythm of a
victim of cardiac arrest and which is capable of delivering an electrical charge to
the heart
CPR - Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cyanotic - Bluish color in the skin due to oxygen deprivation
Diastolic blood pressure - The residual pressure when the heart is between beats
Hemorrhage - An abnormal external or internal discharge of blood
Manual Conveyance Used to move a mildly injured athlete a greater distance
than he/she can be walked with ease
PRICE Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation
Primary survey - Assessment of life threatening conditions
Secondary survey - Assessment used to gather more specific information about an
injury. It includes history, observation, physical examination, and special tests
Systolic blood pressure - The pressure caused by the heart's pumping
Universal Precautions Guidelines instituted by OSHA to protect the health care
provider and the patient against bloodborne pathogens
Vital Signs Include pulse, respiration, blood pressure, temperature, skin color,
pupil response, presence of pain, and level of consciousness.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Why is it important to have all members of a school and/or athletic department
practice the emergency plan?
2. When designing an emergency plan what elements should be included and how
would it vary for different athletic settings?
3. What are the steps in a primary survey and how do you provide care for
conditions found during that survey?
4. What are the critical steps taken for the care of an athlete with a suspected
spinal injury?
5. What are the major steps of a musculoskeletal examination?
6. What determines the method of transportation when assisting an injured athlete
off the field?
CLASS ACTIVITIES
1. Have an American Red Cross or American Heart Association instructor give a
brief overview of the skills of CPR and First Aid.
2. Ask students in the class if they have ever been involved in a situation where
CPR or first aid was necessary. If yes, were they trained? How did they respond?
3. Have students team up and give each pair an emergency situation. They must
quickly recognize the situation and provide the appropriate emergency care.
Another pair of students can act as the injured athletes while another pair
critiques the response of the students and their actions.
4. Have students practice emergency management of an athlete presenting with a
fracture, shock, an obstructed airway, and a possible head and neck injury.
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Chapter 8 Handling Emergency Situations and Injury Assessment

5. Have the students practice taking vital signs.

WORKSHEET ANSWERS
Matching
1.
2.
3.
4.

c
e
f
d

5.
6.
7.
8.

k
a
b
j

9. h
10. g
11. l
12. i

Short Answer
13.Primary, airway, breathing, circulation, severe bleeding, shock
14.A blow to the head or solar plexus.
15.The jaw thrust method
16.Head or neck injury
17.Obstructed airway
18.Splint the joint above and below the suspected fracture and splint the injury in
the position it is found
19.Keep the head and neck in alignment with the long axis of the body
20.The anvil pruner, the trainers angel, and the FM extractor
21.Ask the victim a question.
22.Removing the helmet may damage the cervical spine.
23.Venous blood is characteristically dark red with continuous flow; capillary
bleeding exudes from tissue and is a reddish color; arterial bleeding flows in
spurts and is bright red.
24.Maintain the athletes body temperature and elevate the feet and legs 8-12
inches for most situations.
Listing
25.Direct pressure
26.Elevation
27.Pressure point
28.The seriousness of the injury
29.The type of first aid and immobilization necessary
30.Whether the injury warrants immediate referral to a physician for further
assessment
31.The manner of transportation from the injury site to the sidelines, athletic
training room, or hospital
32.Moist, pale, cool, clammy skin
33.Pulse is rapid and very weak
34.Respiration is shallow and extremely rapid
35.
Decrease in blood pressure, systolic pressure is usually below 90 mmHg
36.Athlete may appear drowsy and sluggish
37.In severe cases there may be urinary retention and fecal incontinence

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Chapter 8 Handling Emergency Situations and Injury Assessment

Essay
38-40.Red skin may indicate heatstroke, high blood pressure, or elevated
temperature
Pale skin may indicate insufficient circulation, shock, fright, hemorrhage, heat
exhaustion, or insulin shock.
Blue skin (cyanotic) primarily noted in lips and fingernails usually means
airway obstruction or respiratory insufficiency
41-45.See Focus Box 8-3, Page 149.

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Chapter 8 Handling Emergency Situations and Injury Assessment

NAME ______________________________
SECTION__________

CHAPTER 8 WORKSHEET
Emergency Situations and Injury Assessment
MATCHING: Match each item with the appropriate response.
_____1. Hemorrhage
_____2. Shock
_____3. Systolic Blood Pressure
_____4. Ambulatory Aid
_____5. Diastolic Blood Pressure
_____6. PRICE
_____7. Unconsciousness
_____8. Manual Conveyance
_____9. AED
____10. Pulse
____11. Respiration
____12. Pressure points

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.

Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression,

Elevation
A state of insensibility, lack of
conscious awareness
An abnormal external or internal
discharge of blood
Assistance given to an athlete who
is able to walk
A condition due to a diminished
amount of blood available in
circulation.
The pressure caused by the heart's
pumping
Normal rate for an adult ranges
between 60-80 per minute
A device used to evaluate cardiac
rhythm and deliver an electrical
charge to the heart
Places on the body used to control
external bleeding
Used to move a mildly injured
athlete a greater distance
Residual pressure when the heart is
between beats
Normal rate for adults is 12 per
minute and 20-25 per minute for
children

SHORT ANSWER: Answer the following with a brief response.

13.The _______________ survey determines the existence of all life-threatening
conditions and includes ____________, ____________, _____________, ____________,
and ____________.
14.Identify two causes that can cause unconsciousness.
15. Which method of opening the airway should be used on an athlete who has a
suspected neck injury?
16.Any athlete who is unconscious should be suspected of having a ____________.
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manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

Chapter 8 Handling Emergency Situations and Injury Assessment

17.The standing abdominal thrust technique is performed to relieve a(n)

_______________.
18.What are the two most important concepts one must keep in mind when
splinting a fracture?
19.What is the most important principle when using a spine board to transport an
individual with a suspected neck and/or spinal injury?
20.Which three stand-alone devices are the most effective in removing a face
mask?
21.What is the simplest way of determining whether a victim is unconscious?
22.Why is it important that the helmet on an athlete with a suspected cervical spine
injury never be removed?
23.Describe the characteristics of venous, capillary, and arterial hemorrhage.
24. What emergency procedures should be performed on an athlete in shock?
LISTING: List three ways to control external bleeding.
25.
26.
27.
List the decisions that can be made from the brief on-the-field injury inspection.
28.
29.
30.
31.
List the major signs and symptoms of shock.
32.

35.

33.

36.

34.

37.

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Chapter 8 Handling Emergency Situations and Injury Assessment

ESSAY:
38-40.Describe the abnormal skin colors and the related conditions that these can
represent in an injured athlete.

41-45.Describe the appropriate technique used in the initial management of an

acute musculoskeletal injury.

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2013 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.