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ATHLETES WITH SICKLE CELL. Sports Injury Management. What does it look like?. 1:12 African-Americans have the sickle cell trait. SIGNS / SYMPTOMS. Sluggish, cramping, disorientation Heat issues at the beginning or end of practice
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ATHLETES WITH SICKLE CELL Sports Injury Management
What does it look like? 1:12 African-Americans have the sickle cell trait.
SIGNS / SYMPTOMS • Sluggish, cramping, disorientation • Heat issues at the beginning or end of practice • Fatiguing pain, normal muscle appearance, exhaustion to point of motionlessness
HOW CAN I TELL THE DIFFERENCE? CARDIAC ISSUES sudden collapse, no prodromal issues SICKLE CELL sluggish, cramping, disorientation EXERTIONAL HEAT COLLAPSE prolonged exercise in hot/humid environment SICKLE CELL happens with intense exercise at the beginning or end of practice
HOW CAN I TELL THE DIFFERENCE – con’t. CRAMPING obvious spasm, severe pain, intense reaction, locking up, difficult to return to practice/play SICKLE CELL normal muscle appearance, fatiguing pain, exhaustion to the point of being motionless, collapse, can return with rest after episode
PRECAUTIONS • BE AWARE OF YOUR ATHLETES!!! Know who has the sickle cell trait! • Build intensity slowly; allow athlete to “sit out” of Day One performance tests such as mile runs and serial sprints (these activities increase the levels of lactic acid → require longer recovery periods) • Stop activity with associated S/Sx; heat, dehydration, and asthma are predisposing factors • Year-round conditioning is encouraged
TREATMENT • Activate your Emergency Action Plan – make participants aware of potential problem • Check / monitor vital signs • Administer O₂ at 15 l/min (ONLY IF WITHIN YOUR SCOPE OF PRACTICE) • Cool the athlete (avoid using ice to avoid vasoconstriction, use “cool” instead • If vitals drop, call 911; call hospital to inform ER of on-the-field evaluation
PARTING THOUGHTS • Sickle cell athletes usually do well if they are allowed to “set their own pace.” • Medical testing to screen for Sickle Cell is quite inexpensive ~ $5 for the initial screening, $30 to confirm a positive response = the average cost of a pair of NIKE receiver gloves • READ MEDICAL HISTORY OF ALL ATHLETES!