SafetyTEC - medical coverage at equine and other special events in Kentucky - Training :: Emergency Services :: ASHI :: CPR :: AED :: First Aid

3-31-08

Medical Condition reference:

Signs of heat exhaustion, it can look like many other common illnesses.

Early signs Heavy sweating, thirsty, minor muscle “twitches” that progress to painful cramping.

Later signs Pale, cool and moist skin, headache, nausea and vomiting, weak, dizzy, feels faint or collapses

Signs of heat stroke, this is a true life threatening medical emergency.

Any or all of the above symptoms along with:

Altered mental status (confusion hallucinations, bizarre behavior)

Hot, red, dry skin or heavy sweating

Seizure, Unconsciousness

Signs of diabetic problems:

Very low blood sugar (hypoglycemic)

Altered mental status

Pale Sweaty

Anxiety/trembling

Pounding Heart

Victim may appear drunk

Hungry/weak

Fainting

Seizure

Unconsciousness

Very high blood sugar (hyperflycemic)

Altered mental status

Nausea/vomiting

Flushed, hot, dry skin

A strong, fruity breath odor

Drowsiness/difficulty waking up

Rapid, deep breathing

Unconsciousness

Signs of hypothermia:

Early Frostbite, Pale, cold skin, Weakness, loss of coordination, Altered mental status, Uncontrollable shivering

Late No shivering, Slow (or absent) breathing or heartbeat

Gatorade/dehydration and letting them ride:

The rider should be drinking something every hour. If the rider is having any type of symptoms they should not ride because they are NOT in their right mind. Mainly show jumping and cross country, but depending on how far they are along with dehydration NO Riding tell the urine output is clear. Should give Gatorade or sports drink first and then mix it. The rider will not want to drink and will not feel thirsty, they will need to be made to drink.

While in the barn area, if you haven’t seen one of the riders drinking then maybe you should have them drink something in front of you or keep a record of how much they drink. The other thing I’ve noticed is they want to compete so if you stress to the parents and the rider they need to drink at night as well they should be fine during the day as long as they are drinking.

Cuts, scrapes, falls:

When in doubt always have the EMT check the patient. That is what they are there for.

But if it is something you would fix/treat at home why not treat it there. Now if there is imbedded dirt, rocks, or anything in it this needs to be looked at and possible sent to the hospital to have it cleaned by hospital staff.

Concussions: Web site on USEF Safety as well as USEA web site for this.