The sports medicine team needs to go through proper planning for it to be effective when certain needs arise. Ideally, the in-field emergency preparation is done during a set time period before the sport events. One of the important tasks is to assign the team leader among the sports medicine team or the sports medicine personnel and he/ she should give role assignments to the other team members for better injury-scenario preparedness. Another is to ensure the availability of the ambulance that could serve as the means of transportation of an injured sport participant. Consequently, a prior coordination with the Emergency Room of the nearest hospital should be established beforehand. Also, knowledge in triage should be present among the sports medicine team, along with other first aid courses. And finally, the emergency equipment should be prepared by the sports medicine personnel. The following are the contents of a sports medicine medical bag and its classifications.
The first classification is the diagnostic instruments. These include a stethoscope, a BP cuff, a penlight, a thermometer, an opthalmoscope and an otoscope. These are medical devices, apparatus, implant, in vitro reagent, or any similar or related article that are used to diagnose disease or other conditions, and does not achieve its purposes through chemical action within or on the body (which would make it a drug). Medical devices such as diagnostic instruments act by means of physical, mechanical, or thermal contact with the patient. Medical devices vary greatly in complexity and application.
The second classification is the medications found in a sports medicine medical bag. These medications are analgesics, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, antacids, anti-diarrheals, anti-nausea, antihistamine, bronchodilators, sedatives, tetanus toxoid, and 50% glucose solution. Medications are defined as substances used for medical treatment, especially a medicine or drug. This is treatment using drugs. Also known as pharmaceuticals, these are medicinal products that achieve their principal action by pharmacological, metabolic or immunological means.
The next classification is the suture and dressing sets. The suture set involves the materials needed in the process of joining two surfaces or edges together along a line by or as if by sewing. The material, such as thread, gut, or wire, is used in this procedure. These are the fine threads or other material used surgically to close a wound or join tissue so that a stitch will be formed formed. A suture is a stitch or row of stitches holding together the edges of a wound or surgical incision. Meanwhile a dressing set are pieces of clean or sterile cloth that cover a wound or sore. There are many types of dressings. These include bandage, patch, cloth covering, compress, cataplasm, poultice, plaster, and surgical dressing.
The last classification of materials found in a sports medicine bag are equipment that include an oral airway, BVM with face mask, sling, splints, IV fluids and IV sets, and a tongue depressor. Other miscellaneous materials such as safety pins, batteries, tampons, plastic bag for ice, list of banned substances, and list of telephone numbers of hospitals and the contact numbers of other members of the sports medicine team or personnel.
Online References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_device
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/suture