Sunday, December 2, 2012

AED's and Athletic Trainers

One of the course I regularly teach is CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer.  It's funny, because almost universally, whether students or health care professionals are enrolled in the course, I always get that "is this going to take a long time?" sense from those enrolled.  I've never quite understood it, because it's possibly the most valuable tool one can learn.  It is simple, but sometimes details get lost in real life situations.  Call EMS, Begin CPR, use an AED as soon as possible.  These three items can play an integral part in the survival of an athlete or anyone who collapses at a sporting event.  Earlier this week, a local high school in Maine and more specifically, athletic training students and the athletic trainer displayed how proper training can be used effectively.   You can read about this story here. 

Several weeks ago, a physician was presenting at a conference and stated "Who are we responsible for at a sporting event?"  It was a great point.  He said we often think about providing health care to athletes, but what about the coaches, officials, game support staff, and the family and friends in the crowd?  In this case, a game official collapsed and was attended to immediately.  It just goes to show you the value of having an AED and trained medical staff on site, and in this case, a positive outcome. 

Kudos to Anita Dixon MS, ATC and her athletic training students from USM and UNE.