• Heat Stroke is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY!

     

    Signs and Symptoms of Heat Stroke: 

    • Increased body temperature over 104 °F (can only be measured by rectalcore temperature)
    • Irrational behavior
    • Central nervous system dysfunction
    • Collapse or staggering/sluggish feeling
    • Confused
    • Altered consciousness
    • Hot, red, damp, or dry skin associated with little to no sweating
    • Fast strong pulse and rapid shallow breathing

    Treatment:

    • CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY!
    • Move to a cool shaded area and remove equipment/excess clothing
    • Cool as quickly as possible within 30 minutes via whole body cold water immersion

     Heat Exhaustion 

    Signs and Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion:

    • Profuse sweating
    • Weakness
    • Dizziness
    • Disoriented
    • May lose consciousness
    • Cold, pale, and clammy skin
    • Fast weak pulse and rapid shallow breathing
    • Nausea
    • Vomiting
    • Dry mouth

    Treatment:

    • Move to a cool shaded area and remove equipment/excess clothing
    • Cool down with ice towels or ice bags
    • Elevate legs and rehydrate 

    Get Medical Attention Right Away: 

    • Symptoms last longer than 1 hour
    • Symptoms worsen 
       

    Heat Syncope

    Signs and Symptoms of Heat Syncope:

    • Fainting or feeling fait in hot rising temperatures
    • Weakness
    • Dizziness
    • Blurred vision
    • Thirst

    Treatment:

    • Rest in cool environment
    • Increase water and electrolyte intake
    • Elevate legs 

    Get Medical Attention Right Away: 

    • Symptoms last longer than 10-15 minutes
    • Repeated episodes of fainting or other symptoms worsen 

     Heat Cramps

    Signs and Symptoms of Heat Cramps:

    • Painful involuntary muscle spasms
    • Profuse sweating 
    • Fatigue
    • Dehydrated

    Treatment:

    • Rest in cool environment 
    • Increase water and electrolyte intake
    • Wait for heat cramps to go away before continuing physical activity 

    Get Medical Attention Right Away: 

    • Heat cramps last longer than 1 hour 
    • On a low-sodium diet

     

    Identifying Susceptible Individuals: It is important to identify susceptible individuals who are prone to heat-related illness so they can be closely monitored during physical activity. An accurate medical history can help the certified athletic trainer and coaches to better identify these individuals. Some student-athletes may be more susceptible to heat-related illness than others.

     

    What is Cold Water Immersion?

    • A treatment method used for heat stroke
    • The following steps are to perform cold water immersion:
    1. Remove equipment/excess clothing.
    2. Fill the tub with enough water to immerse whole body (on days when WBGT readings are above 82 the tub should be filled prior to practices/games).
    3. Monitor vital signs and measure rectal core temperature (if the temperature is above 104 °F, then begin cold water immersion immediately)!
    4. Place towel under arms to hold the head out of the water.
    5. Add ice to the tub.
    6. Stir the water to keep it cool.
    7. Stay in the tub until rectal core temperature is below 102 °F (if unable to measure the temperature stay in the tub until the body is shivering or EMS arrives and is ready to transport).

    ALWAYS COOL FIRST, THEN TRANSPORT!

     

    CWI

     

    Gradual Heat Acclimatization: is the single most effective method of preventing heat-related illness. Heat acclimatization should allow student-athletes to gradually adapt and cope to exercising in hot and humid environmental conditions. Coaches have the responsibility of designing practice schedules to allow athletes to gradually acclimate to hot and/or humid weather over a 10-14 days. Each exposure should involve a gradual increase in the amount, intensity, and duration of exercise until it is comparable to a competitive level.

     

    What is WetBulb Globe Temperature?

    • An instrument used to measure environmental heat stress
    • Certified athletic trainers monitor environmental conditions via WBGT readings
    • DCPS requires that certified athletic trainers utilize a portable WBGT device and record the daily reading approximately 30 minutes prior to practices/games
    • These readings should be available to head coaches ASAP
    • These readings should be measured whenever the forecasted temperature exceeds 85° F and should be measured hourly if the temperature is expected to increase
    • The following FHSAA guidelines are recommended for WBGT readings:

    Under 82: Normal Activity. Provide a minimal of a 5 minute rest break for every30 minutes of practice. Unlimited access to water as needed.

    82.0 - 86.9: Use discretion for intense or prolonged exercise. Watch at-risk players carefully. Provide a minimal of a 5 minute rest break for every 30 minutes of practice. Unlimited access to water as needed.

    87.0 - 89.9: Maximum outdoor practice time is 2 hours. For Football: Players are restricted to helmet, shoulder pads, shorts, and protective equipment is to be removed for any conditioning activities. If the WBGT rises to this level during practice players may continue to practice wearing football pants without changing to shorts however, players should be consistently carefully monitored. For all sports: Provide a rest break every 15 minutes of practice with at least a minimum duration of 4 minutes.

    90.0 - 92.0: Maximum outdoor practice time is 1 hour. For Football: no protective equipment may be worn during practice and there may be no conditioning activities. For all sports: there must be 20 minutes of rest break distributed throughout the 1 hour practice time.

    Over 92.1: No outdoor workouts. Practice should be delayed until cooler WBGT is reached or move indoors into air-conditioned environment.

    No practice should ever exceed 3 hours. Please refer to FHSAA policy 41.4.4 for further information.

     

    Device