Tommy Mallon Injury Video

Please take the time to watch this video and pass it along to anyone who has a high school or middle school athlete...thank you

http://youtu.be/c3z0mFSZl8M

Has your athlete been screened? Go to www.epsavealife.org for information on free heart screenings for high school athletes

Ft. Worth, Texas....Eleven young people from across the country died from suspected sudden cardiac death (SCD) between September 1 and 12, 2011.  These statistics are gathered through media reports since there is no mandatory registry of sudden cardiac death in youth.  Meanwhile, the debate over whether to provide cardiac screenings to youth as a part of their yearly physical continues.    According to an article in yesterday's Washington Post,  Dr. Jonathan Drezner of the University of Washington in Seattle sees "a growing pool of scientific evidence" in support of using an electrocardiogram (EKG) in physicals. 
"People have a misconception that sudden cardiac arrest in youth doesn't happen that often,"  said Parent Heart Watch (PHW) Executive Director Michele Snyder.  "Yet we have tracked eleven since September 1, and fifteen in August, with four surviving.  And these are just the ones we know about.  If a simple, non-invasive EKG could have saved some or all of these lives, don't we owe it to our children to screen them?"
Parent Heart Watch, the national voice solely dedicated to preventing Sudden Cardiac Arrest in youth, launched a pro-screening campaign last October during National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month.  The campaign is ongoing.
As one parent  who lost his son to SCA said,  "An $88.00 test would have saved my son's life. This just makes me cry.  An $88.00 test. Less than a pair of cleats."
To learn more about SCA in youth or to request educational resources, visit www.parentheartwatch.org.
 ###
 Parent Heart Watch is the national voice solely dedicated to protecting youth from sudden cardiac arrest and preventable sudden cardiac death.  Parent Heart Watch leads and empowers others by sharing information, educating and advocating for change.

Concussion Awareness is Becoming a Popular Topic Among High School and Collegiate Athletics

The Mayo Clinic in Arizona has sponsored the Arizona Concussion Summit at Arizona State University.  Recognizing the need for concussion awareness in her state, Governor Jan Brewer has declared August 20, 2011 Concussion Awareness Day in Arizona.  The Mayo Clinic will focus on recognizing the symptoms and signs of concussions, the changes in brain function after concussions, the vulnerability of the brain, particularly those of adolescents, after concussions, the proper method of management and evaluation of the concussed athlete, and the role of the baseline test and post injury testing in helping health care providers make return-to-activity decisions.  To read more about the Mayo Clinic, click here

Brutal Heat Waves Across the Country Results in Many Heat Stroke Related Deaths

Heat Stroke related deaths have reached an all time high as football players are pushed harder and harder in sweltering heat.  Just last week, six cases of heat stroke related deaths in high school football players were reported.  The worst part is, these deaths are extremely preventable.  Athletes Saving Athletes is working on a video to raise awareness on the symptoms of heat stroke and the precautions to take when one has these symptoms.
http://deadspin.com/5827289/the-preventable-annual-tradition-of-high-school-football-deaths

Advocates for Injured Athletes has begun filming for our newest program Athletes Saving Athletes

These videos will highlight certain athletic injuries such as heat stroke, sudden cardiac arrest, and neck/spinal injuries, and teach the proper steps and precautions to take when you believe one has occurred. We recently filmed a video on the NCAA tennis player, Brittan, who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and had to be saved by an AED. Our hope is that these videos will be presented to a large audience of students and adults alike and teach the importance of injury knowledge. Our Athletes Saving Athletes heat stroke survivor Will James was featured in this PBS video.

http://video.pbs.org/video/1880045332/

Tommy speaking on Sports Injury Prevention at the Phillip Rivers Camp and the Reggie Bush Camp

Tommy Mallon , Dr. Allen Richburg, Dr. Becca Rodriquez and Dr. Russ Pogorelov presenting on "Sports Injury Prevention" this weekend at the Phillip Rivers Camp and the Reggie Bush camp. Helping parents and athletes learn facts on Concussion, SCA, Heat Illness and Overuse Injuries.

May 21 2011 Advocates for Injured Athletes partners with Children's Hospital and the American Red Cross for Sports Injury Clinic