Emergency Medical Plan

· Download the complete emergency medical plan (.pdf)
· UTSA campus map

Introduction
Emergency situations may occur at any time during an athletic event, an event refers to practices and competitions. Medical emergencies are not limited to student-athletes but can also occur to coaches, department support staff, student support staff, and spectators. Because of the possibility of an emergency, the athletic department and the department of sports medicine has an obligation to have an emergency medical action plan in place and prepared to be properly implemented so that the best possible care will be provided in a timely manner.

Since medical emergencies can occur at any time and during any activity the sports medicine team must be prepared. Preparation for a medical emergency includes formation of an emergency plan, proper coverage of athletic events, maintenance of emergency equipment and supplies, utilization of appropriate emergency medical personnel, and continuing education in the area of emergency medicine, and emergency management and planning. Some potential medical emergencies to student-athletes can be avoided through pre-participation physical screenings, safe practice and training techniques and safe play areas. Even though every precaution is taken it is important to understand that medical emergencies can still occur. But with an emergency medical action plan and proper training, these situations can be handled appropriately.

There are several components of an emergency medical action plan, these include:
· Emergency team
· Initial responders
· Emergency communication
· Proper emergency equipment
· Expedient action
· Maps & directions for various venues

Emergency Team
The implementation of an emergency medical plan cannot take place without the formation of an emergency team. Initially this team consists of team physicians and staff athletic trainers. These people are responsible for the formation of the plan. Once a emergency takes place the emergency team can vary depending who is at the scene. This can include a team physician, staff athletic trainer, student-athletic trainer, UTSA police, coach, staff strength coach, department support staff, student support staff, or spectators.

In any case the roles of these people will vary depending on the amount of members on the team, the venue and the preference of the person in charge which is usually a staff athletic trainer. There are four priorities of the emergency team.

The first is the immediate care of the victim, this will be left up to the most qualified individual at the scene. Individuals who are less qualified should yield to those who have more appropriate training.

The second priority is equipment retrieval, this may be done by anyone on the emergency team who is familiar with the types and location of specific equipment needed.

The third priority is the activation of the EMS system. Depending on the type and severity of emergency this may become the second priority. Activation of EMS is required when they are not already at the sporting event. If EMS is not at the scene they should be activated as soon as it is deemed necessary. Time is the most critical factor in an emergency situation. Activating EMS can be done by anyone on the team, but the person chosen for this should be someone who is calm under pressure situations and who can communicate well over the telephone. This person should be able to communicate the nature of the emergency as well as the location and address of the emergency.

The fourth role of the emergency team is that of directing EMS to the scene. In most cases, this will be a member of the UTSA Police Department as one of their roles in an emergency is to escort emergency vehicles to the scene.

Roles of the Emergency Team
· Immediate care of the victim
· Emergency equipment retrieval
· Activation of the emergency medical services
· Direction of EMS to the scene

Initial Responders
Typically when a medical emergency occurs at an athletic event, the initial responder will be either a certified and/or licensed athletics trainer or a student athletics trainer. In some cases, a physician may be present at an athletics event, but this will depend on the event and location. The initial responder also may be a coach or departmental support staff person. In either case, the initial responder should be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). It also is preferred that the initial responder have knowledge of basic first aid and the prevention of disease transmission. In addition, the initial responder should be familiar with the emergency medical action plan.

Emergency Communication
In the event that a medical emergency arises and EMS activation is required but not on site, communication will be very critical to ensure that the most expedient and best care will be given to the victim. Should an EMS unit be needed the first contact will always be with the university police, they in turn will contact emergency medical services and work with the athletic training staff as to where EMS needs to go. Access to locked gates should be made readily available. Either a coach, staff trainer, UTSA police or physical plant should have keys to all locked gates on campus.

The university police can be contacted for emergencies by dialing 4911 or 911 on a campus phone. If a mobile phone is being used you will need to call 458-4911. At or near all outdoor venues there are speakerphones that connect directly to the university dispatch, if a phone is unavailable this may be used. ALWAYS call the university police if EMS is needed. This will always be your first means of contact. The university police also will dispatch an officer to the scene to document the incident and give assistance as needed. There is also a fire department located just northwest of the campus on Babcock Road. Typically, they will respond in the event of a medical emergency for support.

The person making the call to the university police requesting an EMS unit should give the following information:

· Your name
· Nature of the emergency
· Location
· How to best access the site
· Any other information as necessary or requested

Proper Emergency Equipment
The UTSA sports medicine department and its staff are responsible for having proper emergency equipment and keeping it in good working order. Team physicians, staff athletic trainers, and student athletic trainers are expected to have a working knowledge of this equipment. The emergency equipment available should be appropriate for the level of training for the emergency medical providers.

Medical Emergency Transportation
In evaluating a medical emergency, the primary survey helps the emergency care provider in identifying emergencies requiring intervention and in determining transport decisions. In an emergency where the victim is unstable transportation should occur by ambulance. Emergency care providers should refrain from transporting unstable victims in inappropriate vehicles. In addition care must be taken to ensure that the sporting event continues to have medical supervision should the emergency care provider leave the site and travel with the victim to a medical facility. In an emergency situation where there is a compromised level of conscious, airway, breathing or circulation, or there is a neurovascular problem, these should be considered a “load and go” situation. This means that there should be a rapid evaluation, treatment and transportation of the victim.

In order to provide the best possible care at a medical facility, there are two level 1 trauma centers in San Antonio - University Hospital and Brook Army Medical Center (BAMC). Either one of these facilities can handle any trauma situation. In addition, there are a host of other hospitals that can handle most medical situations. The nature and severity of the injury and the status of the hospitals will determine which medical facility is used in addition of the preference of the victim. If the victim is a UTSA student-athlete and is considered critical then University Hospital will be used. If it is not life threatening the choice of medical facility may be at the discretion of the team physician or the staff trainer, or may be dictated by capacities of local emergency departments at that time.

Crisis Management Plan
The athletic department has a crisis management plan in place. The emergency medical action plan is not meant to replace the crisis management plan but rather is to be used in conjunction with it as deemed appropriate.

Conclusion
The importance of being properly prepared for emergency medical situations cannot be stressed enough. A victim’s survival may hinge on how well the sports medicine team is prepared to handle these situations. Administrators, team physicians, athletic trainers, and coaches should be familiar with policies and procedures in regards to handling emergency medical situations as they arise. UTSA stresses the importance in its preparedness of emergency situations.

Emergency Phone Numbers & Contacts

Athletic Training Room: 210/458-4178
Athletic Training Room Fax Number: 210/458-4199


Jerry Greeson, MEd, ATC, LAT — Associate Athletics Director/Athletic Medicine
Office: 210/458-4178 · Cell: 210/365-8316

Brenna Ellis, MS, ATC, LAT — Associate Athletic Trainer
Office: 210/458-7697 · Cell: 210/887-6543

Wesley Moss, MS, ATC, LAT — Assistant Athletic Trainer
Office: 210/458-6918 · Cell: 210/883-7811

Hajime Takashima, MEd, ATC, LAT, CSCS — Assistant Athletic Trainer
Office: 210/458-4178· Cell: 210/410-7335

Jana Joyner, MEd, ATC, LAT — Assistant Athletic Trainer
Office: 210/458-4178· Cell: TBA

Adam Cohn, MSAT, ATC, LAT — Athletic Training Intern
Office: 210/458-4178 · Cell: 210/445-5402

UTSA Police: 210/458-4242
UTSA Police Emergency: 210/458-4911

UTSA Physical Address
One UTSA Circle
San Antonio, TX 78249-0691