WISE 5
In medicine the questions remain the same, but the answers keep on changing. What happens when the first round of interventions on a downed athlete in small town USA does not produce the desired outcome? What needs to happen next? This question remains the same. However, with advancements in technology and education, the evolution of the right answer to “next” keeps on changing.
The Wise Five team consists of sports medicine trained, seasoned professionals who make it their mission to stay informed and debate best practices for desired outcomes. This group is composed of Physicians, Athletic Trainers, and EMS professionals. Their training, commitment, and invaluable experience and insight make them keenly aware of the importance of staying up to date and informed. Their first hand knowledge into the realities of emergency response on the field, as well as the challenges that limited resources and availability of next level care pose on outcomes. The Kyle Group is honored to host this platform to gather and collaborate with such wise minds.
WISE 5 PIONEERS
JONATHAN CAROLLA
Pennsylvania Regional Education Specialist Emergency Health Services Federation, Hershey, Pennsylvania
PAUL SEAMANN
Chief of Operations JanCare EMS, Beckley, West Virginia
SCOTT HALE
Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital Trauma Program Director, Beckley, West Virginia
GLENN HENRY
University of Georgia, Team Paramedic, Athens, Georgia
CRYSTAL SHELNUT
Regional Trauma System Development Manager Georgia Trauma Commission, Madison, Georgia
RON COURSON
Executive Associate Athletic Director - Sports Medicine, University of Georgia Athletic Association, Athens Georgia
DR. LARRY RHODES
West Virginia University, Division of Cardiology, Executive Director of Rural Programs, Morgantown, West Virginia
DR JAMES SCHEIDLER
West Virginia University, Associate Professor Emergency Medicine Department, West Virginia Office of EMS Region Medical Director, Morgantown, West Virginia
DARRYL CONWAY
University of Michigan- Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director / Chief Health & Welfare Officer; Owner- Conway Ventures, LLC; Co-Owner- Sports Medicine Emergency Management, LLC (SMEM); Ann Arbor, MI
CHRIS BLASZKA
University of Georgia, Associate Athletic Trainer, Athens, Georgia
Ensuring the safety and well-being of athletes during competition is paramount in sports medicine. The risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) poses a concern, prompting the implementation of comprehensive emergency preparedness protocols. Such protocols, including the Friday Night Medical Time Out checklist, have evolved over time to prioritize prompt and effective responses to potential medical emergencies on the field. Early versions of the MTO included a check box for Sideline AED and ACLS staffed EMS units on game day.
The high-profile case of Buffalo Bills defensive back, Damar Hamlin, experiencing suspected commotio cordis during an NFL game in Cincinnati, brought the urgency of athlete resuscitation to the forefront. Televised on the field, emergency care served as a call to action to duplicate successful athlete resuscitation at all levels of competition.
Survival after witnessed cardiac arrest during sports play has had a dramatic improvement over the last 2 decades with routine availability of AEDs at sport venues and emphasis on yearly training for sports medicine staff and coaches. Most young athletes respond to early AED defibrillation and rapid initiation of effective chest compressions during the first five minutes.
In cases when initial care is not effective, EMS on scene resuscitation strategies require discipline in the context of priority of interventions in the setting of witnessed SCA in a young athlete during sports play.
Our “Wise Five” initiative is focused on designing protocols to guide Medics and Team Physicians utilizing advanced life support equipment and medications during the second stage of resuscitation. This initiative recognizes the unique challenges posed by SCA in young athletes and seeks to investigate the optimal sequence of life-saving interventions, enhanced defibrillation techniques including vector change, airway management with end - tidal CO2 trending, the timely application of mechanical CPR devices, and medication options. By addressing these critical interventions in emergency care, the "Wise Five" initiative endeavors to enhance the likelihood of successful outcomes in this special population with a finite etiology of cardiac arrest during sports play.