Preventing catastrophic injury and death in collegiate athletes: interassociation recommendations endorsed by 13 medical and sports medicine organisations

Abstract

The following organisations endorsed this document: American Association of Neurological Surgeons, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine, College Athletic Trainers' Society, Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Korey Stringer Institute, National Athletic Trainers' Association, National Strength and Conditioning Association, National Operating Committee for Standards on Athletic Equipment, Sports Neuropsychology Society. The following organisation has affirmed the value of this document: American Academy of Neurology. The Second Safety in College Football Summit resulted in interassociation consensus recommendations for three paramount safety issues in collegiate athletics: (1) independent medical care for collegiate athletes; (2) diagnosis and management of sport-related concussion; and (3) year-round football practice contact for collegiate athletes. This document, the fourth arising from the 2016 event, addresses the prevention of catastrophic injury, including traumatic and non-traumatic death, in collegiate athletes. The final recommendations in this document are the result of presentations and discussions on key items that occurred at the summit. After those presentations and discussions, endorsing organisation representatives agreed on 18 foundational statements that became the basis for this consensus paper that has been subsequently reviewed by relevant stakeholders and endorsing organisations. This is the final endorsed document for preventing catastrophic injury and death in collegiate athletes. This document is divided into the following components. (1) Background-this section provides an overview of catastrophic injury and death in collegiate athletes. (2) Interassociation recommendations: preventing catastrophic injury and death in collegiate athletes-this section provides the final recommendations of the medical organisations for preventing catastrophic injuries in collegiate athletes. (3) Interassociation recommendations: checklist-this section provides a checklist for each member school. The checklist statements stem from foundational statements voted on by representatives of medical organisations during the summit, and they serve as the primary vehicle for each member school to implement the prevention recommendations. (4) References-this section provides the relevant references for this document. (5) Appendices-this section lists the foundational statements, agenda, summit attendees and medical organisations that endorsed this document.

Keywords: american football; concussion; exertional heat stress; heat acclimatisation; injury prevention.