Are you okay?
What exactly hurts?
Is there anybody else injured or involved?
On the scale of one to ten – ten being painful and one being bearable, how would you rate the state at which you are feeling at present?
Do you feel sick?
Are you cold? (Supply a blanket or the equivalent, if so)
(IF the player is unconscious, ABC is needed, Airway-Breathing and Circulation. The first aider will need to ask a witness in this event as to what happened and what the mechanics of the injury are.)
Once the athlete has answered the questions, the relevant actions must be taken. As soon as the injured person has directed the first aider whereabouts it hurts, and has informed them of the injury and their extent of discomfort – the assessor will then need to look at the injured body part.
L ooking at the injury.
When looking at the injury, the first aider is looking for any visible abnormalities or deformities. They are checking the injury site for swelling, bruising or discolouration – and will need to take appropriate action if they are able to notice anything unordinary. Any blood shown from wounds should be immediately treated.
T ouching.
When touching the injured site, the first aider must request permission beforehand. This is more of a passive examination. By touching the injury site, the assessor shall check for swelling, lumps, and deformities etc. They may also feel it necessary to feel for a temperature on the injured person’s forehead, if they have complained of sickness. The first aiders must ask themselves:
Can I feel any abnormalities on this injury?
Does this person have a temperature or appear to be heating up?
Touching the injury site helps to decide the extent of the injury. The first aider may gently touch the area and ask the athlete if, where they are touching, hurts or causes discomfort. They can also watch the face for signs of pain if the athlete appears unable to talk. They are also looking for, loss of skin sensation and altered skin sensation. If by touching the wound or the injured area – the individual appears to be in pain, or the injury is evidently something serious, the athlete will need to be removed from the area, via a stretcher, wheelchair etc, if relevant.
A ctive movements.
Depending on whether or not the first aider has decided to ask if the athlete can move the injured area, determines whether or not you do simple mobility exercises with the individual. If it is not clear as to what the injury may be, the first aider will need to request information regarding whether moving the injured body part, causes discomfort or pain. If the athlete is unable to move their leg, foot, hand etc – it is important to expect the worst-case scenario – without diagnosing anything straight away. If the athlete can move their affected area by themselves, it is likely the injury is not extremely serious; however, necessary action still must be taken.
If the athlete complains of a head injury, one may ask if they are able to stand up and walk around without the help of anybody else. The first aider will need to find out whether or not standing up causes them to feel dizzy or sick – and if this is the case, it is essential to sit the athlete down, where they are likely to be comfortable. For a head injury, it is also essential to check whether or not the person is able to see properly, by doing simple vision tests with them.
P assive.
This section of the SALTAPS regime depends on the situation. This is where the assessor moves the injured limb, to clarify the extent of the injury. They can ask the injured individual, whether movement feels restricted, and if when they move it, it causes discomfort. Passive help must only be given, if it is definitely clear, that the body part is not broken. If the injured athlete complains they are unable to move it themselves, the best option is to withdraw from any passive movements, as the likelihood is the limb or body part is fractured or broken – and forcing movement upon the injury, may cause further problems.
S trength exercises.
This part of the SALTAPS regime is a section of the post-injury recovery process, There are seven stages form assisted weight bearing to sprinting that are involved in this section. Strength exercises focus upon regaining mobility of a joint or injured muscle. They also focus on regaining flexibility and movement – and help to increase the injured site’s range of movement.
Degree of the Injury.
The severity of the injury will determine how far the SALTAPS assessment proceeds. Often it is possible to diagnose an injury, just by looking and touching the injured body part or limb. Other circumstances may require one to move the affected area, as well as touch and closely assess it. It is essential that, if at any time, it is obvious that the athlete has broken a bone - no body, including the first aider touches or checks the part for mobility. This is because it can cause further problems and increase the severity of the injury. If when assessing the injury, by looking at it – it is noticeable that there is blood seeping from a wound – this must be treated immediately. If the athlete is conscious and able to speak – it is obvious heir airway is not blocked and clearly the main focus is treating the wound seeping blood. However – if the athlete is unconscious, the first aider will need to check the airway and breathing of the individual, before treating any injured body parts or wounds. Some injuries require a rehabilitation programme and a therapist to encourage healing, however; other injuries may be less severe, and can be treated using treatment modalities such as R.I.C.E. It is the assessors’ responsibility to make an immediate decision about how far in to the SALTAPS process they precede, and any decision made – must be made with the individuals best interested at mind.