First Aid

Prevention

Equipment

  • Mouth guards

  • Face shields

  • Boxes for PCs

  • Shin pads

Ensure Player Fitness

  • Is the player well - feverish sick or injured?

  • Should they be playing with recent injury

Technique

  • Job for coaches /referees

  • Ensure appropriate tackle techniques

Minor injuries

Soft tissue Injury

Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation

  • Stop activity immediately an injury occurs.

  • Make an icepack by crushing some ice and placing it in a damp towel.

  • Apply ice pack to injured area for up to 20 minutes

  • Hold ice pack on the injured area with a bandage and elevate to reduce swelling.

  • Remove icepack after 10-20 minutes, apply compression bandage to injured area and maintain elevation.

  • Repeat ice treatment followed by compression bandage every 3 – 4 hours during the first 48 hours of the injury occurring.

  • After the initial 48 hours, if there has been an improvement introduce gentle

Wound care

  • Remember the skin is the biggest organ in the body 

  • A wound is a break in the skin caused by a laceration (cut), abrasion (scrape), puncture, blister

  • Caring for you’re the wound is important to promote healing, avoid infection and minimize scarring. 

  • Different types of wounds require different dressing products and care

  • Importantly All wounds are potentially at risk of developing an infection.

Abrasions

WOUND CARE

  • Clean and wash this in water – bugs on turf

  • Remove debris gently 

  • Cover abrasion with a non stick dressing

  • A moist environment is best for healing/scaring 

  • Cuticerin in pharmacies 

  • Abrasions are painful Panadol may help

Lacerations 

WOUND CARE

  • Stop the bleeding with firm pressure -Haemostasis.

  • Cleaning the wound with water.

  • Pain relief Panadol.

  • Skin closure- range of ways glue strips sutures.

  • Dressing follow-up advice

Blood nose

WOUND CARE

  • Apply firm gentle pressure on the fleshy part of the nose

  • Sit forward with pressure on nose

  • Do not swallow the blood as this may you feel sick or vomit

  • Continue applying pressure for 5-10 minutes 

  • Place a cool towel damp towel over the bridge of your nose. This helps the blood vessels to contract and stop bleeding.

Fractures or broken bones

WOUND CARE

  • Hands are the most common broken bone in hockey

  • Immobilise –keep it still

  • Ice

  • Splint – may be required

  • Pain relief Panadol brufen

  • Hospital for Xray

  • Headache Confusion Dizziness

  • Nausea Vomiting Irritability

  • Depression Nervousness Visual disturbances

  • Impaired concentration

  • Impaired memory

  • Feeling drowsy

  • Balance problems Trouble sleeping Sensitivity to light or noise

  • Feeling 'slowed down' Feeling 'like in a fog'

Head Injury

Symptoms

Head Injury

Return to play

DON’T return to game after a significant head Injury on the same day

  • No activity, complete physical and mental rest for a minimum of 7 days. After this week and/or once symptom free for 48 hours,proceed to level 2.

  • Light aerobic exercise such as walking, swimming or stationary cycling.

  • No resistance training. NO CONTACT.

  •  Sport specific training (e.g. running drills, ball handling skills). NO CONTACT

  •  NON-contact training drills. May restart resistance training.

  •  Full contact TRAINING after medical clearance

  •  Game play

  • Early good management delays long term symptoms and enables return to sport

Major injuries

Collapses

  • Above all remain calm – the way you speak and tone is very important for children and team mates

  • Take your own pulse first!

  • Make sure you are safe – that the game has stopped

  • Assess if player is responding – say hello

  • Basic first aid

  • Call for help if no response 111