General First Aid: How to approach a sick or injured athlete!!

1. Explain the general principles of sports first aid.

The general principles are:

• Do no further harm.
• Take control of the situation.
• Remain calm and reassure the victim.
• Leave the victim in the position found.
• Administer CPR, if necessary.
• Perform initial survey, head-to-toe survey, and SAMPLE history.
• Use common sense.
• When in doubt, call 9-1-1.
• RICE.

2. Discuss approaching the sick or injured athlete.

Approaching a sick or injured athlete we must:

• A coach could be in danger of injury or illness when providing care for a sick or injured victim.
• Coaches should be aware of ways to protect himself or herself from infectious diseases.
• Infectious diseases are those that can be transmitted from one person to another through contact with blood, bodily fluids, and airborne pathways.
  
  
  Take the following precautions to reduce risk of disease transmission:

• Use gloves and consider eye protection. Gloves, barrier devices, and protective glasses should be part of the first aid kit.
• Use a barrier device, such as a face shield or pocket mask, when providing rescue breaths.
• Wash hands with soap and water after each incident.
• Dispose of exposed items in appropriate waste disposal containers (if medical waste bags are not available, place the blood-stained items in double-sealed plastic bags until they can be disposed of properly).
• Cover any open wounds on the body with a bandage.
• Be properly immunized (tetanus and hepatitis B).
• Do not eat, drink, or touch your face while providing care.
• Clean contaminated areas and equipment with an appropriate cleaning solution.
  
  
  
  
  References:
  
  
  First Aid in General Practice. Fiest Aid Tips. Patient | Patient. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2016, from http://patient.info/doctor/first-aid-in-general-practice
  
  
  First aid. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2016, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid