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General Safety Guidelines
Head/neck/lower back injuries:
 | If player has had a loss of consciousness, do not move them! If they are still
unconscious, call 911 and make sure they are breathing and have a pulse. If they do not,
and you or another person on scene knows CPR, begin treatment immediately until EMS
arrives to assume care. |
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| If player lost consciousness but has regained it, assess for any other injuries starting
with the head and working down the body. If parents are present, let them decide if player
should go to hospital to be seen. |
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| It is generally a good rule of thumb to suggest they do so but it is ultimately the
parents’ choice. Ask questions like "does this hurt", while gently touching
areas that were involved in the injury. Do not move or twist neck for any suspected neck
injury. |
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| Always apply ice to any bumps or bruises. |
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| Watch for signs of a concussion. |
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| Loss of consciousness |
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| Nausea/vomiting |
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| A change in their normal behavior |
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| Repeatedly asking the same questions over and over |
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| Headaches that aren’t relieved with Tylenol, etc. |
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Remember any player with a possible neck or back injury should never be
moved or handled unless you are trained in spine immobilization!
Facial injury/soft tissue:
Any injury to the face from a ball, bat, player collision, etc. should
have ice applied to immediately. Some of these injuries may also include a cut or tear in
the skin. Please remember to:
| Always wear gloves when attending to a bloody wound. |
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| Apply direct pressure to any bleeding wound. After several minutes most bleeding will
stop. Cleanse apply a clean dressing or Band-Aid. |
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| A doctor should see any eye injury that is acquired by a direct blow from a ball or bat. |
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| Discard any bloody material in a biohazard bag. |
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Nose injury:
| Wear gloves if bloody. |
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| Apply pressure and ice to the nose. Pressure should be applied at the nostrils, not the
bridge. Head should be tilted forward. Hold pressure for a full 15 minutes without letting
go. If bleeding persists after that player should see a doctor. |
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Dental injury:
| If tooth is loose, leave it alone. Apply ice. |
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| If bloody, wear gloves when assisting player. |
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| If tooth is completely out, try to clean it off gently in water. Do not disturb the root
area. Then reinsert it into the space it came from. Seek dental care. |
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| If unable to reinsert it place it in water or milk and seek dental care. This should be
done within 30 minutes of injury to assure best outcome. |
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Wounds: includes lacerations, abrasions, punctures bruises:
| Wear gloves if bloody. |
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| Apply pressure to the wound. |
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| Apply ice to the wound. |
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| Cover with a dressing. |
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| Contact parents for further decision making. |
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| Discard bloody dressing in biohazard bag. |
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Severe bleeding:
| If you have a wound that is bleeding severely and will not stop, you must apply
continuous pressure and get player to immediate medical care by calling 911. |
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| Make sure you notify parents if they are not present. |
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| Always wear protective gloves and discard in biohazard bag. |
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Suspected broken bones:
| Apply ice to area. |
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| Elevate extremity if able to. |
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| Wear gloves if bone through skin and apply dressing. |
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| Do not let child drink anything/they may need to go to surgery if bone is through skin. |
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| Make a splint to support by using something that is stiff, such as a folded newspaper,
magazine or board. Secure it with an ace wrap to the splint. |
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| If the extremity below the injury turns blue or cold the player needs immediate medical
care. Transport by ambulance. |
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Heat exposure:
May be related to complaints of weakness, headache, nausea, dizziness,
pale or clammy skin, profuse sweating. If player is hot without sweating call 911 –
life threatening!
| Prevent by making players drink lots of water. |
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| Get out of heat immediately. The player is done with the game for the day. |
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| Apply ice or cool wet rags to face, neck, etc. |
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| Seek medical care if the symptoms persist. |
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It is impossible to cover every injury a player may sustain while
engaged in a sporting activity. If you are not sure what to do, always allow parents to
make the decision in the best interest of the player!
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