SPORTS INJURY

MANAGEMENT
Concussions are common in combat sports
such as boxing. In 2009, Filipino boxer Z
“the Dream” Gorres suffered a concussion
in a boxing match against Luis Melendez in
Las Vegas. Gorres was knocked down in
the 10th round but he was able to recover
and eventually won the title. However, he
collapsed inside the ring after the
announcement of winner. He was rushed to
the hospital for an emergency surgery to
repair the internal bleeding.
Is Injury evaluation the same as
diagnosis?
Injury evaluation is NOT the same as
diagnosis. The doctor is the only person allowed to
diagnose the condition of a patient. Evaluation
happens in the field while the diagnostic process
occurs in the doctor’s clinic.
 The diagnostic process accounts all the

information needed to see a holistic picture of the

cause and severity of the injury such as patients
history, comprehensive physical examinations,
special tests, and diagnostic test *e,g..MRL, X-
ray), among others.
 The coach or athletic trainer should have
a background on injury evaluation and
management to bridge the gap between
the playing field and the hospital. The
first part of the evaluation process is
called the primary survey.
 This is a quick evaluation if there are life-
threatening injuries present. The
evaluation needs to consider if the
patient should be moved or transported
immediately to a medical facility.
What sports injuries can lead to
death?
One of the life-threatening sports injury is
concussion or traumatic brain injury. This injury
is common to contact and combat sports
(e,,g ..boxing) and is caused by a strong blow to
the head that temporarily impairs brain function.
Aside from being unconscious, the injured athlete
might show other signs such as amnesia, loss of
balance, poor motor coordination, and slurred
speech.
According to the American Academy
of Neurology, there three types of
concussion based on severity:
Category Description Characteristics
Grade 1 Mild No loss of consciousness,
condition normalize
in less than 15 minutes
Grade II Moderate No loss of consciousness,
condition normalizes
beyond 15 minutes
Grade III Severe Loss of consciousness
 Concussions can be life threatening if
blood vessels in the brain are ruptured.
As blood leaks from the blood vessels into
the skull, the brain is deprived of oxygen-
rich blood a situation which can lead to
death.
 Athletes who suffer concussions are

advised not to play or train for two to

four weeks or upon the advice of the
doctor.
 Other conditions that can lead to life-
threatening condition are cardiac arrest,
and shock. Some individuals are
susceptible to developing cardiac arrests
because of some pre-existing medical
conditions susch as hypertrophic,
cardiomyopathy, and Marfan’s
sysndrome. It is important that
individuals consult a doctor prior to
engaging in strenuous physical activity to
screen pre-existing medical condition.
How could a life-threatening condition be
determined?
The coach or trainer has to perform a primary
survey to determine if the injured athlete is in a
life-threatening condition. There are two tell-tale
signs unconscious and not breathing. If the
injured athlete is breathing but unconscious, do
not move the body unless the neck and back is
stabilized to prevent complications.
Call the attention of the emergency medical
services (e,,g,, doctor, ambulance) and monitor
the vital signs(i…g,, breathing).
 If the injured athlete is unconscious and not
breathing, alert the emergency medical services
and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR) until medical help arrives.
 The CPR technique incorporates chest
compression and rescue breaths to facilitate
blood flow to the brain and prolong the life of
the person.
 The breasts bone has to be compressed to a
depth of one and a half inch to two inches.