Concussion knowledge and management practices among coaches and medical staff in Irish professional rugby teams.

BACKGROUND: Self-reported concussion rates among U-20 and elite rugby union players in Ireland are 45-48%. Half of these injuries go unreported. Accurate knowledge of concussion signs and symptoms and appropriate management practices among coaches and medical staff is important to improve the welfare of players. AIMS: Examine concussion knowledge among coaches, and management techniques among medical staff of professional Irish rugby teams. METHODS: Surveys were administered to 11 coaches and 12 medical staff at the end of the 2010-2011 season. RESULTS: Coaches demonstrated an accurate knowledge of concussion with a good understanding of concussion-related symptoms. Medical staff reported using a variety of methods for assessing concussion and making return-to-play decisions. Reliance on subjective clinical methods was evident, with less reliance on objective postural stability performance. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the coaches in this investigation have accurate knowledge of concussion and medical staff use effective techniques for managing this injury. On-going education is needed to assist coaches in identifying concussion signs and symptoms. It is recommended that medical staff increase their reliance on objective methods for assessment and return-to-play decision making.

A national survey of clubs medical personnel, facilities and protocols in Irish Rugby Union.

BACKGROUND: Rugby Union is one of the most popular sports in Ireland. Participation in all sports carries risk, and there is an onus on governing bodies and those involved in sport to minimise this risk using injury prevention and management programmes. AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the current status of medical personnel, facilities and equipment in Rugby Union clubs in Ireland. METHODS: A nationwide cross sectional survey of affiliated clubs in Ireland was undertaken at the beginning of the 2011-2012. Clubs were surveyed on a range of variables including their medical personnel, facilities, equipment, policies and concussion. RESULTS: 47.7 % of those surveyed responded. The majority reported involvement of appropriate medically qualified personnel, having a dedicated medical area/room, a first aid kit and defibrillator, and a demand for first aid courses. CONCLUSIONS: This survey provided key information on the current medical status of clubs in Ireland to the governing body. Many clubs have adequate medical resources in place, however a large number do not have medical professionals working with them or own basic medical equipment. The results of this study have lead to the development and implementation of a rugby specific injury prevention and management programme for medical and non-medical personnel at all levels of the game in Ireland.

The physiological effects of low-intensity neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on short-term recovery from supra-maximal exercise bouts in male triathletes.

This study investigated the acute effects of NMES on blood lactate (BLa) and performance parameters in trained male triathletes. On three separate days, 13 trained male triathletes performed six 30 s Wingate tests (30 WanT) on a cycle ergometer. Each session consisted of performing 3 × 30 WanT (bouts 1-3) followed by a randomly assigned 30 min recovery intervention of either: (i) passive (seated), (ii) active (cycling at 30% VO(2 max)) or (iii) NMES (1 Hz/500 µs-ON:OFF 2:6 s). The 3 × 30 WanT bouts were then repeated (bouts 4-6) and compared to bouts 1-3 for peak power (PP), mean power (MP) and fatigue index (FI). BLa and heart rate (HR) were recorded at designated time points throughout. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA with Tukey's honestly significant difference post hoc test. BLa decreased significantly faster during the active recovery intervention (P < 0.001), however, there were no significant differences between interventions for PP (P = 0.217), MP (P = 0.477) and FI (P = 0.234) when the post intervention bouts (4-6) where compared to the pre intervention bouts (1-3). NMES during recovery was not more effective than active or passive recovery for improving subsequent performance. Despite BLa clearing at a significantly faster rate for the active recovery intervention, PP, MP or FI did not improve significantly compared to NMES and passive. In conclusion, NMES does not appear to be more effective than traditional methods for enhancing short-term recovery from supra-maximal exercise bouts in trained male triathletes.