99: Dr. Rachel Frank – Concussions and Emergency Action Planning in Soccer (Part 2)

In this episode, we’re going to continue our discussion with Dr. Rachel Frank and focus on emergency action plans as well as the sideline management of some common soccer-related orthopedic injuries.Our conversation picks back up with a review article published in the July 2023 issue of Clinics in Sports Medicine titled “On-Field Sports Emergencies: Preparation and Readiness.” Authored by our guest today, this paper discusses the importance of an emergency action plan. The emergency action plan should include site-specific implementation, personnel who are involved, equipment, communication, transportation, and location of emergency care facilities. This paper notes that improvements should be made following self-evaluation after each on field emergency to ensure the EAP is optimal.Then, from the upcoming issue of JAAOS next month, we review an article titled “Management of Sideline Medical Emergencies.” While most sports related injuries are benign, the potential for catastrophic injury is omnipresent and covering team physicians need to be prepared. This paper nicely highlights the acute management of a variety of medical emergencies, including cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, nervous system injury, significant bleeding, abdominal trauma and specific musculoskeletal injuries including hip and knee dislocations. The authors point out that physicians must be comfortable recognizing the signs and symptoms of life-threatening emergencies and not hesitate to rapidly escalate care and initiate an emergency response.