Preventive measures for high school sports

A set of recommendations for precautions that should be followed by parents, coaches, athletic trainers, and other health care professionals and participants in secondary school athletics has been re-released by the National Athletic Trainers' Association, Dallas, in order to prevent the spread of communicable and infectious diseases.

Due to the nature of competitive sports at the high school level, there is an elevated risk of infectious diseases being spread by skin-to-skin contact and contaminated equipment shared by athletes. A certified athletic trainer employed by the high school can evaluate these skin conditions and help prevent them from spreading to other team members.

Among the common preventable diseases are impetigo, community acquired methicillin-resistant staphylococcus infection (MRSA), and herpes gladiatorum (a form of herpes virus that causes lesions on the head, neck, and shoulders).

Following are NATA's guidelines for proper prevention:

* Shower immediately after each practice or competition.

* Wash all athletic clothing worn during practice or competition daily.

* Clean and disinfect gym and travel bags if the athlete is carrying dirty workout gear home to be washed and then bringing clean gear back to school in the same bag. This problem also can be prevented by using disposable bags for practice laundry.

* Wash athletic gear (such as knee or elbow pads) periodically and hang to dry.

* Clean and disinfect protective equipment such as helmets, shoulder pads, catcher's gear, and hockey goalie equipment on a regular basis.

* Do not share towels or personal hygiene products with others.

* All skin lesions should be covered before practice or competition to prevent risk of infection to the wound and transmission of illness to other participants; only skin infections that have been diagnosed and treated properly may be covered to allow participation of any kind.

* All new skin lesions occurring during practice or competition should be diagnosed properly and treated immediately.

* Playing fields should be inspected regularly for foreign objects and debris that could inflict cuts or abrasions, and for animal droppings that could cause bacterial infections of cuts or abrasions.

* Athletic lockers should be sanitized between seasons.

* Rather than carpeting, locker or dressing rooms should have tile floors that not only can be cleaned, but sanitized.

* Wrestling and gymnastics mats and weight room equipment--including benches, bars, and handles--should be cleaned and sanitized daily.

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