What happens when a player is injured?

As partners of the Cardiff City Stadium and Swalec Stadium, we have seen more than our share of nasty sporting injuries. We’ve provided paramedic support for football, rugby, and cricket games alike, and while you do see different injuries between the different sports, the procedure for treating an injured player is much the same regardless of which pitch you’re on.

So what exactly happens when a player sustains an injury? Here’s a step-by-step explanation:

• The first step, of course, is to assess the injury. Attempting to move the player could be very dangerous if they have experienced a spinal injury, for example, and so we have to know what we're dealing with before proceeding any further.
• Sometimes, we'll have to administer treatment on the pitch before we take the player to the med room. This could involve anything from sutures to portable breathing equipment - it all depends on the type and severity of the injury.
• If needs be, we will then take the injured player to the stadium's medical room for further treatment. At this point, we generally hand the reins over to a doctor; this allows us to quickly get back onto the pitch to deal with any further injuries, and it means that the initial injury can be examined by someone who specialises in that particular area.

If you want to learn how to treat sporting injuries, Lubas Medical can help. Book a place on our exclusive FASE (First Aid for Sport and Exercise) training course or, if you're already a medical professional, try our Sports Trauma Management course.