Emergency Preparedness of Secondary School Athletic Programs in Arizona. 2019

Tamara C Valovich McLeod, and Javier F Cardenas
Athletic Training Programs, A.T. Still University, Mesa, AZ.

BACKGROUND Schools that sponsor athletic programs have an obligation to provide a safe environment with appropriate policies for addressing emergencies. OBJECTIVE To describe the emergency preparedness of secondary schools in Arizona specific to emergency action plans (EAPs), cardiac arrest, concussion, and heat illness. METHODS Cross-sectional study. METHODS Online survey. METHODS Athletic directors from 143 Arizona secondary schools (response rate = 54%). METHODS A 6-section survey that included questions related to athletic trainer (AT) access, EAPs, automated external defibrillators (AEDs), concussion, heat illness, and other policies. METHODS Descriptive statistics were reported. Comparisons of responses between schools with and without AT access were conducted with Mann-Whitney U tests. RESULTS Most respondents (81%, n = 116) indicated their school had access to an AT, and 95% (n = 125) of respondents reported their school had a written EAP. The AEDs were available at most (93%, n = 121) schools. All respondents were familiar with the interscholastic concussion policy, and 98% (n = 123) indicated they had a school-specific policy. Almost all respondents (99%, n = 121) reported being familiar with the state heat-illness policy. Environmental measures were taken before practices at 48% (n = 60) of schools. Schools with access to an AT were more likely to have an EAP, venue-specific EAPs, physician approval of EAPs, AEDs, heat-illness policies, and cold-water immersion tubs and to take environmental measures. CONCLUSIONS Whereas the majority of schools reported AT access, not all schools had adequate EAPs in place. Schools would benefit from educational opportunities regarding best practices and policy development to improve emergency preparedness.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D001924 Brain Concussion A nonspecific term used to describe transient alterations or loss of consciousness following closed head injuries. The duration of UNCONSCIOUSNESS generally lasts a few seconds, but may persist for several hours. Concussions may be classified as mild, intermediate, and severe. Prolonged periods of unconsciousness (often defined as greater than 6 hours in duration) may be referred to as post-traumatic coma (COMA, POST-HEAD INJURY). (From Rowland, Merritt's Textbook of Neurology, 9th ed, p418) Cerebral Concussion,Commotio Cerebri,Concussion, Intermediate,Concussion, Mild,Concussion, Severe,Mild Traumatic Brain Injury,Brain Concussions,Cerebral Concussions,Concussion, Brain,Concussion, Cerebral,Intermediate Concussion,Intermediate Concussions,Mild Concussion,Mild Concussions,Severe Concussion,Severe Concussions
D003430 Cross-Sectional Studies Studies in which the presence or absence of disease or other health-related variables are determined in each member of the study population or in a representative sample at one particular time. This contrasts with LONGITUDINAL STUDIES which are followed over a period of time. Disease Frequency Surveys,Prevalence Studies,Analysis, Cross-Sectional,Cross Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Survey,Surveys, Disease Frequency,Analyses, Cross Sectional,Analyses, Cross-Sectional,Analysis, Cross Sectional,Cross Sectional Analyses,Cross Sectional Studies,Cross Sectional Survey,Cross-Sectional Analyses,Cross-Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Study,Cross-Sectional Surveys,Disease Frequency Survey,Prevalence Study,Studies, Cross-Sectional,Studies, Prevalence,Study, Cross-Sectional,Study, Prevalence,Survey, Cross-Sectional,Survey, Disease Frequency,Surveys, Cross-Sectional
D004632 Emergency Medical Services Services specifically designed, staffed, and equipped for the emergency care of patients. Emergency Care,Emergency Health Services,Emergicenters,Prehospital Emergency Care,Emergency Care, Prehospital,Emergency Services, Medical,Medical Services, Emergency,Services, Emergency Medical,Emergency Health Service,Emergency Medical Service,Emergency Service, Medical,Emergicenter,Health Service, Emergency,Health Services, Emergency,Medical Emergency Service,Medical Emergency Services,Medical Service, Emergency,Service, Emergency Health,Service, Emergency Medical,Service, Medical Emergency,Services, Emergency Health,Services, Medical Emergency
D006323 Heart Arrest Cessation of heart beat or MYOCARDIAL CONTRACTION. If it is treated within a few minutes, heart arrest can be reversed in most cases to normal cardiac rhythm and effective circulation. Asystole,Cardiac Arrest,Cardiopulmonary Arrest,Arrest, Cardiac,Arrest, Cardiopulmonary,Arrest, Heart,Asystoles
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001130 Arizona State of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA bounded on the east by New Mexico, on the north by Utah, on the west by Nevada and California, and on the south by Mexico.
D012574 Schools Educational institutions. Primary Schools,Schools, Secondary,Secondary Schools,Primary School,School,School, Primary,School, Secondary,Schools, Primary,Secondary School
D013177 Sports Activities or games, usually involving physical effort or skill. Reasons for engagement in sports include pleasure, competition, and/or financial reward. Athletics,Athletic,Sport
D047548 Defibrillators Cardiac electrical stimulators that apply brief high-voltage electroshocks to the HEART. These stimulators are used to restore normal rhythm and contractile function in hearts of patients who are experiencing VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION or ventricular tachycardia (TACHYCARDIA, VENTRICULAR) that is not accompanied by a palpable PULSE. Some defibrillators may also be used to correct certain noncritical dysrhythmias (called synchronized defibrillation or CARDIOVERSION), using relatively low-level discharges synchronized to the patient's ECG waveform. (UMDNS, 2003) Automated External Defibrillators,Defibrillators, External,Electric Shock Cardiac Stimulators,Stimulators, Electrical, Cardiac, Shock,Automated External Defibrillator,Defibrillator,Defibrillator, Automated External,Defibrillator, External,Defibrillators, Automated External,External Defibrillator,External Defibrillator, Automated,External Defibrillators,External Defibrillators, Automated

Related Publications

Tamara C Valovich McLeod, and Javier F Cardenas
January 1985, JCAH perspectives. Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals,
Tamara C Valovich McLeod, and Javier F Cardenas
November 2021, Journal of athletic training,
Tamara C Valovich McLeod, and Javier F Cardenas
August 1981, The Journal of the Medical Society of New Jersey,
Tamara C Valovich McLeod, and Javier F Cardenas
March 2007, Clinical journal of sport medicine : official journal of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine,
Tamara C Valovich McLeod, and Javier F Cardenas
December 1963, Connecticut medicine,
Tamara C Valovich McLeod, and Javier F Cardenas
January 2013, Journal of athletic training,
Tamara C Valovich McLeod, and Javier F Cardenas
February 1961, Journal. Iowa State Medical Society,
Copied contents to your clipboard!