ResuscitATe: Cardiac Emergencies and Management of Exertional Heat Illnesses in Secondary Schools
Abstract:
Emergencies are occurring in school settings and preparedness is essential to the outcome for the patient. Creating emergency response teams and implementing trainings with rehearsals is vital. With the increasing environmental temperatures comes an increased risk of exertional heat illnesses (EHI) in young athletes. Exertional heat stroke (EHS) continues to be one of the leading causes of death in young athletes even though death from EHS is preventable with proper recognition and treatment. The purpose of this presentation is to provide clinicians in the secondary school setting with latest evidence-based recommendations on the prevention, recognition, and managements of EHIs.
Learning Objectives:
- Compare AED laws and regulations state to state.
- Express the need to practice emergency action plans during and after school.
- Recognize the signs and symptoms of exertional heat illnesses (EHIs).
- Identify effective strategies for mitigating the risk of EHIs in secondary school athletes.
- Develop a heat safety policy that includes proper recognition and management of exertional heat stroke in the secondary school setting.
Level:
Essential
Domain(s):
Domain 1: Risk Reduction Wellness and Health Literacy
Domain 3: Critical Incident Management
Domain 5: Health Care Administration and Professional Responsibility
Orthopedic Domain(s):
N/A
CEUs:
1.0 Category A
Keywords:
Emergency planning; Wet bulb globe temperature; Sudden death
In order to earn your CEUs, you must watch the session video in its entirety and complete the assessment.
Course Expiration:
All sessions of the NATA 76th Symposia On-Demand must be completed by October 31, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. CDT.
For full details, refer to the expiration policy on our FAQ page.
Mark D'Anza, MEd, LAT, ATC
Mark D'Anza is an AED Project Facilitator with the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada. This allows him to work with emergency teams at elementary, middle, and high schools to improve on-site responses. In addition, Mark is an adjunct faculty member for the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is a per diem athletic trainer for Dignity Health Physical Therapy, and is the lead AT Spotter in Las Vegas for the National Football League.
Mark serves as a member of the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association and is the chair of the Scholarships Committee for the Far West Athletic Trainers' Association.
Rebecca Lopez, PhD, LAT, ATC
Dr. Rebecca M. Lopez is a Professor in the Athletic Training Program at the University of South Florida’s Morsani College of Medicine and a Fellow of NATA. Dr. Lopez is currently serving as an Assistant School Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences at USF. She also serves as Co-Chair of NATA’s DEIA Task Force. Through her leadership as a Co-Chair of this task force, she has been working to ensure the profession of athletic training continues to grow as health care providers by embracing diversity, cultivating an inclusive and welcoming environment, and reducing the health and health care disparities of underrepresented groups.
Research interests include exertional heat stroke and other exertional heat illnesses, cooling methods for hyperthermic athletes, ergogenic aids and thermoregulation, hydration and exercise performance, exercise heat tolerance issues with American football uniforms, sickle cell trait & the athlete, preventing sudden death in sport, return to activity following heat stroke, youth sports injury, and diversity, equity & inclusion in athletic training.