Health & Safety

After the initial sideline assessment, an athlete with a suspected concussion should not be left alone, should be monitored for deteriorating mental status over the next few hours, and should be further evaluated in a hospital emergency room or doctor's office.

In first 24 to 48 hours after suspected concussion, an athlete should be monitored by a parent or other responsible adult  for signs that require immediate hospitalization.

In 2009, the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) issued a set of high school-specific pre-season heat- acclimatization guidelines as part of its ongoing effort to reduce the number of heat-related athletic injuries in secondary schools. The guidelines have been adopted in seventeen states and are being considered by many others.

June is UV (ultraviolet light) Safety Awareness Month, and through its EyeSmart^TMcampaign the American Academy of Ophthalmology reminds Americans of the importance of protecting their eyes from the sun's harmful rays by wearing proper protection.

When skin and pavement meet, you will want to be prepared to treat your child's road rash with current cleansing and dressing methods.  Here are first aid tips for the home medic.

Proper management of acute spinal injuries on the athletic playing field is crucial, given that sports participation constitutes the second most common cause of spinal cord injuries for Americans age 30 and younger, says the National Athletic Trainers' Association's position statement.

Twenty-seven percent of parents with kids under twelve years old saythey never or only sometimes apply sunscreen on their kids when they're outside for 2 to 4 hours, says a new Consumer Reports poll. And 14 percent say they don't even apply sunscreen on their kids when they're outside for more than four hours.