The first critical question for Sports Medicine is: How are sports injuries classified and managed? This critical question focuses on the types of sports injuries and their management/treatment.
Sports injuries can be classified both by the type of tissue injured and the way that they were injured. The type of tissue injured and the nature of this injury determines how the injury is then treated. Soft tissue injuries range from a scratch to a third degree spring or strain. How they are treated varies, but priority is given to limiting bleeding and managing the inflammatory response.
Hard tissue injuries require a very different treatment or management, although limiting bleeding is still a priority. For hard tissue sports injuries immobilisation and early medical treatment is required for the best recovery possible.
The assessment of injuries is also a pivotal point in this critical question. It is important when sports injury occurs that the athlete is quickly assessed in order to determine if they can continue to play, or need to be removed from competition. This is done by following DRSABCD and TOTAPS. These help to determine the nature and degree of injury that has occurred so that proper treatment can follow.
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