Sports
Sports First Aid: How to Act in Accidents and Save Lives
Learn from IRONMAN's Medical Director how to make the right decisions that can save a life during training and competitions.
At Stemma Performance, Bruna Mahn hosts Dr. Leandro Gregorut for a crucial chat about first aid in sports. They discuss the urgent need for athletes and professionals to know basic life-saving techniques. Discover how the SBVA course can empower anyone to make a difference in emergency situations.
At Stemma Performance, host Bruna Mahn welcomes Dr. Leandro Gregorut, IRONMAN Medical Director in Brazil, for an enlightening conversation on a topic of vital importance for everyone in the sports world: first aid. The discussion highlights that, unlike other countries where basic training is part of education, in Brazil, most people don't know how to act in emergencies, which can have tragic consequences.
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The Urgency of First Aid in a Sports Context
It's common to see athletes in training and competitions facing emergency situations, such as bike accidents, fainting during runs, or incidents in the water. The feeling of helplessness when witnessing a peer in distress and not knowing how to help is devastating. Dr. Leandro Gregorut emphasizes that while emergency teams are essential, waiting for an ambulance can be long, and precious minutes make all the difference. He shares experiences where quick and correct interventions, such as turning a bike accident victim to clear their airways, were crucial to saving lives.
The absence of basic training in Brazil for the general population is a critical point. While in countries like the United States and Europe, life-saving maneuvers are taught from school age, here, this training is restricted to health professionals. This gap, however, is beginning to be filled.
SBVA: The Course That Transforms Athletes into First Responders
Recognizing this need, Dr. Leandro Gregorut, in partnership with Dr. Gunter, developed the Basic Life Support for Athletes (SBVA) course. This course is an adapted version of Basic Life Support (BLS), aimed at laypeople, but with an additional module focused on specific traumas in cycling and other sports. The objective is to enable anyone, without the need for a healthcare background, to act effectively in emergencies.
The SBVA offers:
- Theoretical and Practical Content: Teaches everything from recognizing cardiac arrest to using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
- Realistic Training: Includes the use of mannequins for practicing chest compressions and simulating the use of the AED, which guides the first responder step-by-step.
- Focus on Sports Trauma: Addresses how to deal with open fractures, dislocations, and other common accidents in bike training, running, and swimming, utilizing resources that athletes usually have on hand.
- Accessibility: Offered at a symbolic cost (R$150) during IRONMAN symposiums and with plans for expansion to coaching services and training groups. The course aims to democratize knowledge to save lives.
Essential Steps in Critical Situations
In an emergency, such as an athlete collapsing during a run, Dr. Leandro Gregorut explains the importance of a sequence of actions:
- Assess the Scene and Ensure Safety: First and foremost, make sure the location is safe for both you and the victim. If necessary, ask others to signal and control traffic. Training helps to assert authority and organize the situation.
- Check for Consciousness: Approach and call out to the person firmly, with a gentle shake of the shoulders. If there's no response, it indicates loss of consciousness.
- Check Pulse and Breathing: Place your hand on the neck, on the cricoid cartilage (the 'Adam's apple'), and slide your fingers slightly to the side, feeling for the carotid pulse. Do this for a maximum of 10 seconds. At the same time, observe for respiratory movement. If there's a pulse, keep the person stable and wait for help. If there's no pulse, it's cardiac arrest.
- Initiate CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation): If the person has no pulse, begin chest compressions. The ideal is to perform 100 to 120 compressions per minute, with a depth of 5 to 6 centimeters in the center of the chest. Even if rib fractures occur, saving the person's life is the priority. Today, the recommendation is to focus on compressions, without the need for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for laypeople, until specialized help or an AED arrives.
- Use an AED (if available): The Automated External Defibrillator is a valuable tool. It is programmed to speak, guiding the user on how to connect the pads to the victim's chest and when to deliver the shock. The AED identifies if the arrest is “shockable” and warns everyone to stand clear before applying the shock. Following its instructions is crucial.
Prevention and Preparation: Minimizing Risks in Cycling
Beyond emergency actions, Dr. Leandro Gregorut also addresses accident prevention, especially in cycling. He emphasizes the importance of mastering the bike, practicing basic techniques like cornering correctly (using the hips, not just the handlebars), and avoiding excessive speeds on descents. A bicycle is like a 'weapon' in the hands of someone without proper technique, potentially causing serious accidents to themselves and others.
Observing the requirement for safety items (like thermal blankets and gauze) in trail run events, he suggests creating a small, lightweight, and aerodynamic bicycle bag containing basic first aid items, so that athletes are prepared even during training.
A Call to Action for the Sports Community
This episode of Stemma Performance serves as a crucial alert: knowledge of first aid is a powerful tool that can literally save a life. The more people who are trained, the greater the safety in our training and competitions. The SBVA course initiative is an important step so that everyone can transform risk into safety, ensuring longevity and well-being in sports. Do not hesitate to seek this knowledge; it can make all the difference.
For more information about the SBVA course, visit www.simposioironmanbrasil.com.br. Interested teams and coaching services can contact the IRONMAN Brazil Symposium via Instagram to organize classes and personalized training.
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