National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement: lightning safety for athletics and recreation.

OBJECTIVE: To present recommendations for the education, prevention, and management of lightning injuries for those involved in athletics or recreation. BACKGROUND: Lightning is the most common severe-storm activity encountered annually in the United States. The majority of lightning injuries can be prevented through an aggressive educational campaign, vacating outdoor activities before the lightning threat, and an understanding of the attributes of a safe place from the hazard. RECOMMENDATIONS: This position statement is focused on supplying information specific to lightning safety and prevention and treatment of lightning injury and providing lightning-safety recommendations for the certified athletic trainer and those who are involved in athletics and recreation.

Lightning and severe thunderstorms in event management.

There are a few national position stands/guidelines that address environmental conditions in athletics, yet they do not govern all outdoor sports. Extreme heat and cold, lightning, and severe wind can all be fatal, yet the majority of outdoor sports have no published guidelines addressing these conditions in relation to activity. Available research on extreme heat and cold conditions in athletics provides prevention strategies, to include acclimatization. Lightning and severe wind are two environmental conditions to which humans cannot accommodate, and they both can be deadly. There are strong positions on extreme heat/cold and lightning safety in athletics, but none affiliated with severe winds. Medical personnel involved in planning large outdoor sporting events must know of the presence of nationally published weather-related documents and apply them to their event. In addition, research needs to be expanded in the realm of establishing guidelines for safety to participants and spectators in severe wind conditions.

National athletic trainers' association position statement: preventing sudden death in sports.

OBJECTIVE: To present recommendations for the prevention and screening, recognition, and treatment of the most common conditions resulting in sudden death in organized sports. BACKGROUND: Cardiac conditions, head injuries, neck injuries, exertional heat stroke, exertional sickling, asthma, and other factors (eg, lightning, diabetes) are the most common causes of death in athletes. RECOMMENDATIONS: These guidelines are intended to provide relevant information on preventing sudden death in sports and to give specific recommendations for certified athletic trainers and others participating in athletic health care.