Awareness among School Athletes about The Handling and Transferring Techniques of a Suspected Spinal Cord Injured Athlete

Abstract

Background: Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) among athletes frequently associated with temporary or permanent sensory and/or motor function loss below the level of lesion. This carries high morbidity which may limit the day to day activities. Awareness of proper techniques in early management of a spinal cord injured patients may limit complications. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the awareness about proper handling and transferring techniques of patient with a SCI among school athletes. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires with questions related to handling and transferring techniques of patient with a SCI were randomly distributed among school athletes (12-20 years) in Kandy (Sri Lanka) educational zone. Single total score representing the level of awareness, was scored after evaluating the answers. These marks were then compared using Mann Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis to explore the awareness. Results: Among 243 of school athletes (Male, 50.2%; Female, 49.2%), Age: median=15, IQR=1) interviewed, overall mean awareness level score was 50.8% (17.9 ± SD). Conclusion: The awareness of proper handling of SCI patient did not differ in relation to gender, age, level of engagement in sports. Although overall awareness level of the questions based on handling and transferring techniques was moderate, there was an inadequate level of awareness regarding the handling of some important emergency situations.