Heat-related Deaths In School Football Players Spikes in '06

Every year, Fred Mueller compiles a sports list, but unlike popular pre-season picks or a glamorous hot-recruit sheet, nobody envies him this task. Some years the list is longer than others, but, Mueller said, there’s no reason any kid should be on it.

It’s a list of boys who died playing or practicing football, kids whose body temperatures rose so high and so fast under the summer sun that their brains couldn’t keep up, couldn’t regulate their cores, and the boys died.

“When something is preventable ...,” Mueller says, shaking his head. “Those kids could be alive today.”

Five young athletes, from 11 to 17 years old, died of heat stroke in 2006. The trend was declining. The last time there were more than five was 1972, when there were seven. In five of the past 16 years there were none. But, Mueller said, there have been 31 since 1995, and all of them could have been avoided.

Seven other players died last year of “heart-related” deaths that might or night not have been related to heat or exertion. “And we don’t know the number of kids who had heat exhaustion,” Mueller said.

With summer practice about to swing into high gear, Mueller says it’s time to remember these kids, and to keep in mind how heat-related deaths can be prevented:

-- Require each athlete to have a physical and know if an athlete has a history of heat-related illness; these kids are more susceptible to heat stroke. Overweight players are also at higher risk.

-- Acclimatize players to the heat slowly; North Carolina mandates that the first three days of practice be done without uniforms.

-- Alter practice schedules to avoid long workouts in high-humidity.

-- Provide cold water before, during and after practice in unlimited quantities.

-- Provide shaded rest areas with circulating air; remove helmets and loosen or remove jerseys; some schools have plastic outdoor pools filled with ice for cool-downs after practice.

-- Know the symptoms of heat illness: nausea, incoherence, fatigue, weakness, vomiting, muscle cramps, weak rapid pulse, visual disturbance. Contrary to popular belief, heat stroke victims may sweat profusely.

-- Have an emergency plan in place; parents should inquire about emergency plans for their kids’ teams.

Heat-related deaths are compiled as part of the Annual Survey of Football Injuries, research that began in 1931; Mueller took the reins in 1980. The survey tracks major injuries and deaths in 1.8 million football players from sandlot (organized, non-school affiliated teams), middle school, high school, college and professional teams.

There were a total of 20 deaths in 2006; two sandlot players, three in college, 13 middle and high schoolers. Only one death was directly related to the game; a 17-year-old high school player who received a spinal cord injury when tackled in a practice drill.

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Study: Ladder Injuries Climbing

Falls from ladders can result in serious injury and affect people of all ages. The general public is at risk for ladder injuries, yet receives little, if any, instruction on ladder use and safety.

According to a study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) at Columbus Children’s Hospital, more than 2.1 million individuals were treated in U.S. emergency departments for ladder-related injuries from 1990 through 2005. That estimate exceeds an average of 136,000 cases annually. This is the first U.S. study to use national data to comprehensively examine nonfatal ladder-related injuries.

“Individuals using ladders are often not mindful of the severe risks associated with use,” says the study’s co-author Lara Trifiletti, principal investigator in CIRP at Columbus Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “Increased public health initiatives that target men and women, especially of working age, could help reduce the number of ladder-related injuries.”

During the 16-year study period, the number of ladder-related injuries increased by more than 50 percent. Nearly 10 percent of injuries resulted in hospitalization or transfer to another hospital, approximately twice the admission rate of consumer product-related injuries overall.

Of the cases for which location of injury was recorded, nearly all (97 percent) occurred in non-occupational settings, such as homes and farms.Data showed ladder-related injuries most often occur to males, accounting for nearly 77 percent of the total cases. Fractures were the most common type of injury, while the legs and feet were the most frequently injured body parts.

“Given the 50 percent increase in the annual number of ladder-related injuries, the relatively high hospital admission rate, and the predominance of injuries in non-occupational settings, increased efforts are needed to prevent ladder-related injuries in and around the home,” says co-author Gary Smith, director of CIRP at Columbus Children’s Hospital and an associate professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “Ladders should be treated with the same respect and caution as any potentially dangerous tool, such as a power saw.”

Data for the study were obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. The analysis included cases of nonfatal ladder-related injuries treated in emergency departments across the country during the 16-year study period.

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