Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Speaker A: Welcome to the @pit crew podcast. This high energy show dives deep into the world of sports emergency care. Join us as we explore cutting edge strategies, real world experiences and expert insights to help you step up your game in emergency care. We've got the tools, tips and stories you need to be ready when seconds matter. It's time for the @pit crew podcast. We have the green light in 3, 2, 1, 1.
[00:00:34] Speaker B: Welcome back to the @pit crew podcast. I am your host today, Ryan Hart.
And today we are going to be diving into a crucial topic, contemporary emergency care equipment and supplies in sports settings.
Joining me on Today's podcast is Dr. Ray Castle, CEO of Action Medco and co author of the July 2024 Journal of EMS paper Best Practices for Emergency Action Planning and Implementation in Athletic Settings.
Ray, let me start by asking you why were equipment and supplies such a key section in that best practices paper?
[00:01:27] Speaker C: There were eight sections in that paper. One about writing the EAP personnel and training documentation. You have the equipment supplies that just drives what it's just one piece of a cog. Then you get into venue, EAPs and whole other processes with that, such as post incident response planning. This is, this hits not just equipment but also we discussed about rescue medications for example, and other facets of the equipment realm that go into protocols and the training and equipment, all those things. So it's, it's not the section, but it's a very important and equate equal part of that whole. If you don't have that section, you really don't have an emergency action plan document without it.
[00:02:14] Speaker B: Yeah, you're, you're absolutely right. You know, let me, let me ask you this. Let's talk about the absolute essentials.
You know, minimum equipment every venue needs. You know, at the most basic level, what's the equipment every athletic venue should have on hand?
[00:02:31] Speaker C: Well, I think the first thing you want to step back and know who the personnel are. So personnel have to be and their training has to be aligned with equipment and then based on what the needs are for.
[00:04:03] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely, Ray, you know, and you, you mentioned access to aed. You know, I have a follow up question for you. You know, we know that AED access can make the difference between, you know, life or death in emergency situation. Why is placement and proximity of an AED so crucial at these athletic versus.
[00:06:46] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:06:57] Speaker B: Yeah. You know, that's some excellent content for our listeners, Ray. I know they're eating up every bit of what you're saying here on this first segment. And this is a great time for us to take a quick pit stop here for the first segment. I've been Ryan Hart, your host. You're listening to the AT Pit Crew podcast. Stay tuned and we'll be back on track in just a moment. All right. Welcome back at Full Throttle again, I am Ryan, your host here at the @pit crew podcast. Picking back up with Ray and continuing on tailoring equipment to personnel and setting.
Ray, let's talk about matching equipment to the people using it. How should athletic trainers align their supplies with their level of training and the type of venue they're working in?
Right.
[00:09:41] Speaker C: It.
[00:10:16] Speaker B: That'S some great points, Ray. You know, and let's, let's talk about one of the biggest risk on the field when it comes to, you know, injuries. Let's, let's talk about heat illness, for example. You know what, what equipment should be in place to prepare for and to treat exertional heat stroke?
[00:10:32] Speaker C: Well, I think the one thing you look at, it's not just you can't think of exertional heat stroke is I'm going to treat this. This is, you know, you can have protocols for it, but it's when you're treating heat stroke you've got to be thinking of this is multi system organ failure. It is, they're having exertional heat. That's the pr, that's the intervention. We've got to control that. And, but also what else is involved is it they're having, they could be a, you know, could be sick, exertional sickling or having rhabdomy license. They're having other failure points which means you've got to have the other complementary equipment available. So like for example, oxygen but obviously you want to have your tubs or you have response bags like pods or something like that or disaster bags where you can do very. It's based on your budget. What you have available, you got to at the start you got to have your diagnostic equipment. You got to be able to take vitals.
And like we put our equipment, our vitals, we have a, you know, our BP cuff bag, small bag, but we put a glucometer, we put a pen light, we put a pulse oximeter. So once we do pick one of those, if we pull the down below 102, then they're going to start cooling. Most likely they're still going to be out of control their thermal regulatory system. So now they're going to start cooling off and we can't keep them warm. They move past into a hypothermic state. So having a cot or something where they're off the ground having that water access. Those are things you'd still want to make sure of. You have as a minimum some of that equipment. But then also that's just part of what the risk of the injury is.
[00:12:28] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, yeah. I mean that's some great content.
[00:12:34] Speaker C: Yeah, true.
[00:12:49] Speaker B: Yep.
Yeah, absolutely. I'm glad you threw that in for, you know, some food for thoughts for our listeners. You know, of course all, all of this gear that you're talking about only matters if it's ready to go when it's needed. Right?
What, what's the best practices that you recommend for regular equipment checks and maintenance?
No.
[00:13:54] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:14:13] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. And you know how, how should organizations document and track those maintenance checks to stay compliant and make sure nothing's really slipping through the crack.
[00:14:27] Speaker C: It.
Yeah.
Foreign.
[00:15:29] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. Well, that is some perfect content. Ray. I know our listeners are truly getting a lot out of this. For this episode segment I have been your host Ryan Hart and you're listening to the AT Pit Crew podcast. We'll be back on track in just a moment.
Ray, beyond the basics, which rescue medications should venues strongly consider keeping available and on hand?
Yeah, it really good. That's some really good conversation pieces there and some really good points for our listeners. One special consideration that we really that overlook is sickle cell trait. What should athletic trainers and coaches, you know know about managing early childhood assessment screening tools or ecast sickle cell as the primary injury on the sideline?
[00:18:40] Speaker C: Yeah. First off. Yeah. So you know think about what it's it's a sickle cell trait and not being sickle cell positive.
[00:18:47] Speaker B: Very different.
[00:18:47] Speaker C: Two different things altogether. But you're thinking about they, they have an increased likelihood or the, the incidents can occur more especially in exertional settings in, in hot settings, especially the beginning of the season knowing where that they have a past history. You have to take appropriate acclimatization processes in place and that person may have to do a little bit more or a little bit longer but they can still catch up and do that especially if they're new to a sport or activity. So and it can happen but also if they're exhibiting signs of fatigue or otherwise those are subtle signs in itself that they'd be having not just that and they could be having exercise induced bronchial spasm as an adolescent or pre adult when that may occur, that may onset. It could occur. So fatigue or other things as well you may be showing as well. But I think the one you're looking at, you know exertional ecast you're thinking about this is an acute in medical emergency and it is exercise associated collapse or exertional collapse due to or associated with the sickle. And when we think about that they are having multi system organ failure. So you've got to think about having your vital sign do rapid assessment. If they're overheated, you have to cool them down. Do some consider that as a, as a treatment intervention. Oxygen is critical in this. So that's why it's even more so having oxygen. And if you don't have oxygen then you have to. Their respiratory system may eventually collapse. So if they're going below, if they're hyperventilating then you have to be able to push them. You know, you have to control that through positive pressure ventilation. Or if they move to an unconscious state then their respiratory rate drops down below 8 and you're having to pick them back up with ventilations. So it's. And again it's rapid.
You know, calling ems, understanding what the problem is and treating the problem right there on site until EMS does arrive on site.
But also having a history is really important. And that's just one type. You know, I think that's a great question to address. It's in itself is a whole nother topic how you really delve into exertional associated collapse. But it gets into having the right equipment, having the right training, having the right practice in preparation.
And that's just one situation. But it also splinters. It touches as a different touch points for different situations that may occur in a, in a medical emergency.
[00:21:23] Speaker B: Absolutely. Ray. You know, we've reached our final lap here. I have one last question I want to ask you. You know, if you had to give athletic trainers just one key takeaway about equipment readiness, what would that be?
[00:21:37] Speaker C: I think you look at this, it's not just equipment, but I think you're equipment. You ought to have a chart and you ought to have. Okay, if you have a protocol then you have all the equipment that's late, that's, that's required for that. And is the person who is each person, are they trained in the use of that equipment? Because if you're trained the use of the equipment then you can stack it up into. I'm going to practice the equipment skill. I go to protocol, I practice it within a scenario. Those are the things that will be crucial. That as the is the kind of the overarching with equipment is not only just knowing how to use it, but knowing how to use it within a protocol in a scenario. And if you do that, then you're setting yourself up for success, but also how the other providers work or persons work with you in that situation. I know it's kind of long about one key takeaway, but I hope it makes sense with a flow. It's just, it's just equipment has to be trunk. You have to have it dialed in with your personnel, what their training is and the protocol. If you have that, that's the. That's where equipment is really.
It's the only way it becomes effective. And also with our fail points as well.
[00:22:48] Speaker B: Absolutely, Ray. You know, I'm I'm sure our listeners have gotten a ton of information out of this podcast episode. Ray, I want to thank you so much for sharing your expertise and for your leadership in developing, you know, best practices for emergency action planning. And to all of our listeners out there who tuned in to this episode, thank you again for continuing to listen to the @pit crew podcast. Be sure to follow us on your favorite podcast app so you never miss a lap. And for more resources and training opportunities, visit actionmed. Co for today's episode, I have been your host, Ryan Hart. We'll see you next time on the track.
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