Lab 4: Environmental Conditions and Modalities

Lab 4: Environmental Conditions and Modalities Complete the following activities during your lab class under the guidance of your instructor. Objectives of Lab: • • • • • • • Obtain and interpret environmental data. Assess weight loss and hydration status. Interpret urinalysis results. Monitor asthma symptoms using peak flow meter and environmental data. Identify potentially dangerous conditions related to the environment, field, or surface. Apply the protection, optimum loading, ice, compression, evaluation (POLICE) principle. Apply thermotherapy and cryotherapy. Lab Activity 1: Application of Cryotherapy and Thermotherapy Practice and demonstrate your ability to appropriately apply these techniques with a partner as demonstrated and instructed in class. Additionally, list two common conditions that each of these techniques would be useful with during treatment and rehabilitation. Answer the questions associated with each form of therapy. 1. Cryotherapy Ice Bag Procedure i. Place appropriate amount of ice in bag to mold to body. ii. Secure with elastic wrap or plastic wrap. a. Explain the purpose of this treatment. b. Explain what the athlete should feel. c. List three types of cryotherapy. i. ii. iii. d. What is the depth of cold penetration? e. What is the appropriate duration of treatment? f. When should this treatment be completed again? 2. Thermotherapy: Moist Hot Pack Application i. Remove pack from hydrocollator using tongs and allow excess water to drip. ii. Place pack in six to eight layers of toweling and place on the athlete. iii. Duration of treatment. iv. Check with the athlete after 5 minutes of application and then regularly during treatment (mottling). b. What is the appropriate duration of treatment (moist heat pack)? c. What sensations do you feel with this treatment? d. List two precautions/contraindications for this treatment. i. ii. e. List three indications for this treatment. i. ii. iii. iv. 2 Lab Activity 2: Body Systems and Common Conditions Briefly describe signs and symptoms of each of the conditions listed below: 1. Heat cramps: Muscle spasms that result from loss of large amounts of salt and water through exercise. Heat cramps are associated with cramping in the abdomen, arms and calves. Heavy sweating causes heat cramps especially when the water is replaced without replacing salt or potassium. Symptoms of heat cramps are thirst, dehydration, and fatigue (Prentice,2017). 2. Heat syncope: A mild form of heat illness that often results from physical exertion when it is hot. It occurs when your body, in an effort to cool itself, causes the blood vessels to dilate to such an extent that blood flow to the brain is reduced. Symptoms of Heat syncope are fainting, dizziness, headache, weakness, restlessness, nausea, vomiting, tunnel vision, pale or sweaty skin, decreased or weak pulse (Prentice,2017). 3. Heat exhaustion: A heat-related illness that can occur after you’ve been exposed to high temperatures. Symptoms of heat exhaustion are confusion, dark-colored urine, dizziness, fainting, fatigue, headache, cramps, nausea, vomiting, pale skin, profuse sweating and rapid heartbeat (Prentice,2017). 4. Heat stroke: A true medical emergency. The body can no longer sweat. Pulse and blood pressure are weak. Athlete is unconscious and organs are beginning to shut down. 5. Hypothermia: The body begins shivering, perfusion in the lips or fingernails, body core temperature drops significantly. 6. Frostbite: The skin begins to freeze and die because of the extreme cold. The skin will turn black because of the dead tissue. 7. Asthma: Cold air is a trigger for asthmatic patients. The airways begin to constrict and shrink. 8. Dehydration: Individual that has lost so much fluid that they can no longer function normally. There can be a decrease in urine, difficulty breathing, fever over 101, chest or abdominal pain, headaches, fatigue, very low to minimal sweating. 3 Lab Activity 3: Assessment of Environmental Conditions 1. Use the digital sling psychrometer and record the temperature and relative humidity. a. On concrete ___75 degrees_______ b. On turf field ____80 degrees ______ c. On grass field _____60 degrees _____ d. In the classroom _____65 degrees_____ 2. Use a lightning detector, or cell phone application, to determine presence of lightning/thunderstorm activity near your location. There is no presence of lightning near my location. 3. Utilizing the “NATA Position Statement: Lightning Safety for Athletics and Recreation,” describe the flash to bang method. Activity should be suspended, and everyone needs to move safe location if the time between the lightning flash and the rumble of thunder is 30 seconds or less. You have to wait until the bang hasn’t been heard for 30 minutes to resume activity. 4. On the chart below, record your body weight, thirst, and urine color for at least 5 days during the next week and assess your own personal hydration status. Loss of >1% body weight or persistent thirst or dark urine indicates possible dehydration. If any two of these indicators occurs, dehydration is likely. If all three occur, dehydration is very likely. Weight Yesterday Morning (lbs) Date 1/28 117 Weight This Morning (lbs) 119 Weight Change (lbs) 2 lbs 4 Thirsty? (Yes/No) No Dark Yellow Urine in Morning? (Yes/No) No Your Comments and Assessment 5. Follow the steps below to use a peak flow meter and record your findings. a. Step 1: Before each use, make sure the sliding marker or arrow on the peak flow meter is at the bottom of the numbered scale (zero or the lowest number on the scale). b. Step 2: Stand up straight. Remove gum or any food from your mouth. Take a deep breath (as deep as you can). Put the mouthpiece of the peak flow meter into your mouth. Close your lips tightly around the mouthpiece. Be sure to keep your tongue away from the mouthpiece. In one breath, blow out as hard and as quickly as possible. Blow a "fast hard blast" rather than "slowly blowing" until you have emptied out nearly all of the air from your lungs. c. Step 3: The force of the air coming out of your lungs causes the marker to move along the numbered scale. Note the number on a piece of paper. d. Step 4: Repeat the entire routine three times. (You know you have done the routine correctly when the numbers from all three tries are very close together.) e. Step 5: Record the highest of the three ratings. Do not calculate an average. This is very important. You cannot breathe out too much when using your peak flow meter, but you can breathe out too little. Record your highest reading below: i. Peak Flow: ______________________________________________ 1. Use your peak flow to determine the following based on the asthma action plan provided. a. Green Zone >_____260_____ b. Yellow Zone _________to__________ c. Red Zone >_____________ 2. Explain when the digital sling psychrometer should be utilized. You can utilize the digital sling psychrometer when you want to measure relative humidity 3. Describe the 30/30 rule for lightning safety? If thunder is heard within 30 seconds of lightning strike, students will not be dismissed until 30 minutes have passed from the last sound of thunder 5 Lab Activity 3: Case Scenarios 1. A lacrosse team is practicing on a remote field with no indoor facility in close proximity. The weather is rapidly worsening with the sky becoming dark and the wind blowing harder. Twenty minutes are left in the practice session, and the coach is hoping to finish practice before it begins to rain. Suddenly, there is a bolt of lightning and an immediate burst of thunder. How should the athletic trainer manage this extremely dangerous situation? Clear the field immediately and go to the busses/cars 2. A soccer player has a history of exercise-induced asthma (EIA). How can an athletic trainer help this athlete avoid incidences of EIA? How can a peak flow meter be a useful tool for this athlete? Find out the triggers of the athlete’s asthma and have a plan in place. Peak flow meter is useful because it gives a baseline and helps you manage the asthma. 3. During football camp, Steve, the head athletic trainer at an Arizona high school, assesses the wet bulb globe temperature on the football field at the start of practice to be 85° F. During practice, an offensive lineman comes to Steve complaining of nausea and lightheadedness. Steve observes the athlete’s skin to be profusely sweating and he is beginning to cramp. a. What recommendations should be made to the coach regarding practice? Increase water breaks b. Which condition is the athlete most likely exhibiting signs and symptoms consistent with at this time?. Heat Cramps c. Which strategy would be best for Steve to implement for the prevention of heat illness (hyperthermia) in athletics? Remove him from activity, get him in the shade, cool him off, take off tight clothing, replenish fluids d. Steve decides to use the “WUT” method of hydration assessment to implement a heat illness prevention program with the football team. What does the “WUT” method assess? “WUT” method assess Weight Urine Color and Thirst 6 REFERENCES Prentice, W. E. (2017). Principles of athletic training: a guide to evidence-based clinical practice. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education. https://www.nata.org/sites/default/files/environmentalconditions.pptx 7