Sport Science and Safety
US Lacrosse - Pittsburgh Chapter takes the safety of all participants in the sport of lacrosse seriously. We are continuously monitoring safety trends and are advocating for all safety initiatives we are made aware of. If you have any complaints, suggestions or recommendations regarding the safety of our players, please contact Chapter President Justin Bass at jbass@velocityhealthcare.com immediately.
Concussion Management
Every year, players of all ages in all sports receive concussion injuries during games and practice. Characterized by an impairment of the brain’s normal function and caused by violent shaking or jarring of the brain, concussions may cause alterations in cognitive function, vision, eye movement, facial movement, or speech. Contrary to popular belief, and despite ongoing design improvements, no helmet in any sport can prevent a concussion.
The study and treatment of concussions in athletes has received significant attention in recent years. A revitalized interest in concussion management is taking place in the fields of neurology, neurosurgery, neuropsychology, and sports medicine.
To reduce the number of this type of injury, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with the support of partners and experts in the field, has developed a tool kit for coaches titled, Heads Up: Concussion in High School Sports. This kit contains practical, easy-to-use information including a video and DVD featuring a young athlete disabled by concussion, a guide, wallet card and clip board sticker for coaches, posters, fact sheets for parents and athletes in English and Spanish, and a CD-ROM with downloadable kit materials and additional concussion-related resources.
To order a free copy of this toolkit, click here: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/pubs/UC.aspx
Additional Concussion Resources can be found here:
US Lacrosse: http://www.uslacrosse.org/safety/concussion.phtml
CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/tbi/Coaches_Tool_Kit.htm
Commotio Cordis and the AED Program
Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in the United States, taking the lives of more than an estimated 350,000 people each year — more than lung cancer, breast cancer, and AIDS combined. Sudden cardiac arrest, which is not the same as a heart attack, occurs when the electrical system of the heart malfunctions, causing the heart to stop beating.
Sudden cardiac arrest is an indiscriminate killer and can strike anyone - including seemingly healthy young athletes. Between 25 and 33 percent of sudden cardiac arrest fatalities occur during sports activity.
One rare but potentially catastrophic phenomenon in athletes that results in sudden cardiac arrest is commotio cordis. Commotio cordis occurs when a blunt, but often relatively mild, blow to the area of the chest directly over the heart occurs during a precise moment of heart’s cycle, leading to sudden cardiac arrest.
The most effective treatment for sudden cardiac arrest and, indeed, the only effective response to commotio cordis, is the timely delivery of a life-saving shock or defibrillation. Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are portable and easy-to-use devices that deliver potentially life-saving defibrillation therapy quickly and effectively. Tens of thousands of lives that would have otherwise been lost have been saved by AEDs.
Because commotio cordis is so rare, little is known about its cause. But US Lacrosse is playing a leading role in ongoing research and is committed to educating the national lacrosse community about the potential dangers of commotio cordis, as well as the life-saving value of having AEDs available during lacrosse games and practices.
In order to help achieve this goal, US Lacrosse has entered a strategic alliance with Cardiac Science, a leading manufacturer of AEDs, to provide greater educational resources and special AED pricing for US Lacrosse members.
Every team or program should consider the purchase of an AED in order to assure the safest possible environment for their players, coaches, officials and spectators. Quite simply, AEDs save lives.
Resources
US Lacrosse has additional resources in its Sports Science and Safety Section. Visit it here:
http://www.uslacrosse.org/safety/index.phtml
