Saturday, February 28, 2009

Heat Stroke Prevention Expert Calls HB 383 "well-intentioned" but...

This from Douglas J. Casa in the Herald-Leader:

Bill on athlete training falls short of goals

...Sen. Joni Jenkins' [HB 383] would require defibrillators at every athletic event, practice or game and coaches trained in how to use them. It also requires teams to have an ice pool on site when temperatures rise to 94 degrees Fahrenheit or above.

This proposal is a well-intentioned response to the tragic heat stroke death of 15-year-old Louisville high school football player Max Gilpin last August. ...

Immersing a severely overheated athlete in ice water is a proven and valid response to such an emergency medical situation. However, what Jenkins' bill fails to recognize is that highly-skilled athletic trainers or physicians need to be present to make the initial assessment that the reason for an athlete's illness or collapse is heat-related.

Those critical, if not life-saving, decisions should not be made by coaches with a few hours of additional training...

Douglas J. Casa,director of athletic training education at the University of Connecticut, is a national expert on heat stroke prevention. He is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and of the National Athletic Trainers Association.

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