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First aid can be required in any situation but sporting events often provide more scope for injury. If you are being asked to supply first aid for a sporting event then it is probably a small local one, larger events should have professional first aiders in attendance.

At a sporting event you may be asked to provide first aid for both competitors and the spectators. Ideally you will have had first aid training first, and if you haven't I would suggest that you ask the organizers to find some one else, or go on a good course immediately. In these days of lawsuits it would be better not to provide first aid as a favour, only to later find you are being sued for providing the wrong first aid. Check that the event has insurance cover of some kind in place for the same reason.

The most common injuries you are likely to come across at a sporting event are strains and sprains, heat exhaustion and sunburn. For your own safety and to protect patients from cross contamination, use different disposable gloves for each patient. Do not use a bucket of water for every patient for the same reason, have a supply of bottled water.

Your most valuable tools will be ice packs, towels and somewhere to lie the patients down. In addition you will need a first aid kit capable of treating minor cuts and scrapes and a supply of bottled water to wash wounds, or for drinking. Make sure that you have fully charged mobile phone available, or access to a landline in case you have to call an ambulance.

For a strain or sprain the immediate treatment is RICE, or rest, ice, compress and elevate. After assessment to make sure there are no more serious injuries get the patient to lie down, apply the ice pack and raise the affected limb. The ice prevents swelling and bruising at the site, as does raising the limb.

For possible bruising apply the ice packs. If the injury is to the face check if you can see if the eye sockets are still their normal shape, and the same with the nose. If swelling is too bad or there is obvious deformity then your patient needs packing off for an x-ray. The same applies if there was any loss of consciousness.

Cuts are treated by applying a pad for five to ten minutes to the wound or until bleeding stops. Clean wounds with bottled water and apply the pad. If there is any chance of a foreign body or soil in the wound, or if bleeding does not stop the patient should be sent to the emergency room. Once bleeding has stopped apply a gauze pad and tape, and directions on what to look for in case of infection. After assessing the wound you may feel the patient needs stitches, send them to the emergency room.

In heat exhaustion get the patient in the shade and if available get a fan blowing over them. A car air conditioner works well if one is available. Ice packs wrapped in towels can be applied t the back of the neck or armpits to aid cooling in the body. Encourage sips of water. Sunburn is treated in much the same way, by cooling. Sunburn treatment aerosols are useful to help cooling without rubbing the skin.

The most important preparation you can do before providing first aid at a sporting event is to go on a good first aid course. You never know what injuries you may be called upon to treat, but you will be the first port of call for anyone with a medical problem so it is important to make sure that you have an idea of what to do, the facilities to provide basic first aid, and the ability to call for more advanced help if you need it.

Learn more about this author, Eve Redstone.
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