 Student
will be able to describe the step by
step process of evaluating injuries
 The
primary functions of an athletic trainer
are to:



recognize when injury occurred
to determine its severity
and to apply proper evaluation procedures and
treatment protocols
 There
are 2 major considerations in
emergency evaluation:


Control of life-threatening conditions and
activation of emergency medical services
Management of non-life-threatening injuries
loss of breathing
 severe bleeding
 suspicion of intracranial bleeding and bleeding
from ears, mouth, +/or nose
 unconsciousness
 shock
 obvious deformity
 suspected fracture/dislocation
 pain, tenderness, or deformity along vertebral
column
 loss of motor sensory sensation
 loss of motion
 doubt about severity of the injury

2
points to consider when deciding about
transportation:


availability of emergency ambulance service
severity of injury
 Athletic
training staff or coaches should
NEVER transport an athlete in a private
vehicle.
 EMT’s are skilled, practiced pros. who
routinely provide advanced medical care
and transport injured patients.

They have the proper equipment and training
to prepare injured athletes for transportation.

Primary Survey



airway
breathing
circulation
 after
primary survey has determined there
is no life-threatening condition.
 It consists of 2 elements:


History
Physical Examination

ask questions of the athlete to determine:

mechanism of injury


onset of symptoms






how did the injury occur?
when did symptoms begin
location of injury
quantity and quality of pain
type and location of any abnormal sensations
progression of signs and symptoms
activities that make the symptoms better or worse

Evaluate Vital Signs:








abnormal nerve response
blood pressure
movement
pulse
respirations
skin color
state of consciousness
temperature
 First
rule out life-threatening injury
 EVALUATION Process involves 4 steps

HOPS




History – Injury History
Observation
Palpation
Special Tests
 Trying
to determine the injury
mechanism
 How did it happen? (mechanism of
injury)
 Where does it hurt? (location of
pain)
 Did you hear a pop or snap?
(sensations experienced)
 Have you injured this anatomical
structure before” (previous
injury)
 compare
the uninvolved to the involved
anatomical structure (bilateral comparison)
 Signs and Symptoms
 Look for:






Bleeding
deformity (disfigurement)
swelling (edema)
discoloration (ecchymosis)
Scars o
other sign of trauma
 Physical
Inspection of the injury
 Palpate above and below injury site first.
 Then palpate injury site.
 Pinpoint the site of the most severe pain.
(point tenderness)
 Use bilateral comparison – compare good side
to injured side.
Special tests and functional tests are used to
determine if damage has been done to the
anatomical structures
 These tests include testing for:
 joint stability
 muscle/tendon stability
 accessary anatomical structures
 example: synovial capsules, bursa,
menisci
 inflammatory conditions
 range of motion
 pain or weakness in the affected area
 SOAP




Subjective
Objective
Assessment
Plan
 asking
question about pre-existing or existing
injuries
 How
it happened?
 When it happened?
 What did you feel?
 Has this ever happened before?
 Types of pain
 Where does it hurt?
•
Involves visual, physical, and
functional inspection
 Swelling
- Deformity
 Ecchymosis
- Symmetry
 Range of Motion
- Scars
 Facial expression
- Circulation
 Neurological tests
- Bone
 Soft tissue
- Gait / walk
 Sports-specific movements
Try
to determine:
 Probable cause of the injury
 Impressions of injury site
 Severity of injury
 Treatment goals
 What
immediate and long term action should
be taken to care for the injury?
 Immediate
action
 Referral
 Modalities
utilized
 Preventive techniques
 Rehabilitation considerations
 Criteria for return to active
lifestyle
Prevention
Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation
Support

Protect the injury from further damage by removing the
athlete from participation.

After evaluation is completed, rest injury for at
least 24 hrs., but could be longer.

length of rest dependent on severity of injury.
 Apply


 Ice


to control bleeding and swelling
Two equally effective methods:
packs-
plastic bags filled with ice covered with a wet
towel.
Treatment lasts 15 min. , 6-8 times per day.
 Cold

cold to injured area
water immersion bath-
use bath tub/large basin with water temp. 50/60
degrees for 10 min., 6-8 times per day.
use compression wrap to control
swelling
 begin distally (farthest from heart)
 spiral the wrap toward the heart
 remove the wrap every 4 hours
 things to look for if wrap is too
tight:
extremities turning blue or pink
numbness & tingling of
extremities
increased pain


Keep injured body part elevated higher than the heart
 allows gravity to keep excessive blood & swelling
out of injured area.
 first
aid splint
 crutches for lower extremity injuries
 sling for upper extremity injuries