ATHLETES WITH SICKLE CELL

Sports Injury Management

What does it look like?

1:12 African-Americans have the sickle cell trait.

SIGNS / SYMPTOMS

• Sluggish, cramping, disorientation

• Heat issues at the beginning or end of practice

• Fatiguing pain, normal muscle appearance,exhaustion to point of motionlessness

HOW CAN I TELL THE DIFFERENCE?CARDIAC ISSUES

sudden collapse, no prodromal issuesSICKLE CELL

sluggish, cramping, disorientation

EXERTIONAL HEAT COLLAPSEprolonged exercise in hot/humid environment

SICKLE CELLhappens with intense exercise at the beginning or end

of practice

HOW CAN I TELL THE DIFFERENCE – con’t.

CRAMPINGobvious spasm, severe pain, intense reaction, locking up, difficult to return to practice/play

SICKLE CELLnormal muscle appearance, fatiguing pain, exhaustion to the point of being motionless, collapse, can return with rest after episode

PRECAUTIONS

• BE AWARE OF YOUR ATHLETES!!! Know who has the sickle cell trait!

• Build intensity slowly; allow athlete to “sit out” of Day One performance tests such as mile runs and serial sprints (these activities increase the levels of lactic acid → require longer recovery periods)

• Stop activity with associated S/Sx; heat, dehydration, and asthma are predisposing factors

• Year-round conditioning is encouraged

TREATMENT

• Activate your Emergency Action Plan – make participants aware of potential problem

• Check / monitor vital signs• Administer O₂ at 15 l/min (ONLY IF WITHIN

YOUR SCOPE OF PRACTICE)• Cool the athlete (avoid using ice to avoid

vasoconstriction, use “cool” instead• If vitals drop, call 911; call hospital to inform

ER of on-the-field evaluation

PARTING THOUGHTS

• Sickle cell athletes usually do well if they are allowed to “set their own pace.”

• Medical testing to screen for Sickle Cell is quite inexpensive ~ $5 for the initial screening, $30 to confirm a positive response = the average cost of a pair of NIKE receiver gloves

• READ MEDICAL HISTORY OF ALL ATHLETES!