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North dakota athletic trainers talk equipment removal

KXNet.com – Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson-KXNEWS,ND

When an athlete is injured during a sporting event, you expect an athletic trainer to be there.
As Carla Burbidge reports, this year, athletic trainers had to do some new training to be ready for the hockey and football seasons.
As you cheer on your favorite football or hockey team this season, you’re having fun.
You’re not thinking about helmets or padding, but the athletic trainers are.
In fact, a power drill is sort of a medical tool for athletic trainers.
There was a new policy from the National Spine Injury Task Force.
It requires trainers who suspect a spinal injury to remove the equipment while on the field.
(Robyn Gust, Manager, Trinity Sports Medicine)

“We are the ones who know the most about those pads and equipment; we see it every day, whereas an ambulance crew may not be as familiar with it. And you get to the ER, and not only are there traumas going on and other crazy things like that, but how many people know the equipment and are trained in how to take the equipment off.”

Before a game even begins, the athletic trainers are on hand to check to see what the home team and the opposing team are using for equipment.
(Kevin Melby, Trinity Sports Medicine) “This one right here has a special tool that needs to be taken off to pop these clips. For this one the padding’s different around the ears and you have to have special utensils to cut that one off. We have to make sure that we know how to take them off in an emergency situation.”
When the change regarding spinal injuries went into effect, Trinity Sports Medicine had two months to prepare for the fall season.  It involved a lot of in-service work between the athletic trainers, the coaches, and emergency workers.
The trainers will help on the field, and everyone has to be on the same page.
(Robyn Gust, Manager, Trinity Sports Medicine) “Unfortunately, we have already had a couple of calls this year where we had to spine board someone, and everyone knew what they were doing,there was no hesitation, the equipment was not a problem, and it went off without a hitch.”
It takes about three minutes to get the helmet and pads off of the athlete, and then rolled onto the spine board for transport by the ambulance.
The goal: the best care for that injured athlete.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.kxnet.com/story/30321507/new-rule-for-helping-athletes-with-spine-injuries