PJPK Form 2F/2H

03 Jul 2019

T.O.T.A.P.S.
 T.O.T.A.P.S.
An injury needs to be evaluated as soon as
possible using D.R.A.B.C. (Danger, Response,
Airway, Breathing, Circulation) to determine
its severity.
If emergency treatment is not needed,
T.O.T.A.P.S. (Talk, Observe, Touch, Active
Movement, Passive Movement, Skill Test) is
an effective tool for further assessment.
 Talk
Talking to the athlete is the first step in assessing
an injury. Find out exactly what happened when
the injury occurred, it is important to establish a
mechanism of injury.

Ask about symptoms such as pain – find out the

exact location of the pain and how severe it is.
 Observe
• Observing an injured body part is incredibly
important. If a limb has been injured, always
compare the injured limb to the uninjured
limb.
• Look for any open wounds, swelling, deformity
or redness. Remember swelling may not occur
immediately after an injury.
 Touch
• Feel for any tenderness over the injury site.
Severe tenderness when feeling a bone may
indicate a fracture.
 Active movement
• Active movement involves the athlete moving
the injured part themselves. Ask them to
perform a range of movements to see if these
movements bring on pain.
 Passive movement
• Passive movement involves you (as the first
aider) moving the injured part / joint through
its whole range of movement. You should stop
if any of the movements bring on pain.
 Skills test
• The final component to TOTAPS is a skills test.
This involves the athlete performing some
basic skills relevant to their sport to see if
these movements exacerbate the injury.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCy0Mvu
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Assessment of Injury
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQfiVQxj
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T.O.T.A.P.S. and R.I.C.E.R.