Sports
Medicine & Fitness
Georgia
High Schools Adopt AAP Pre-Participation Sports Form: In 2003, at the
urging of the Chapter, the Georgia High School Association adopted the
AAP approved sports Pre-Participation Exam form for all Georgia schools.
The initiative to gain GHSA endorsement was a joint effort with the
Chapter, the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians and the Georgia
Chapter of the ACP-ASIM (internal medicine society).
Click here for the updated 3rd edition of the
Pre-participation Physical Evaluation form. The form can be purchased as
part of a booklet on conducting the PPE from the AAP, product number
R-MA0302 for $34.95 (the non-member price is $39.95).
This booklet contains instructions, guidance on clearance
decisions, and forms to photocopy.
In addition, the form is available in pads sold in packs of 50
from the AAP, product
number R-HE0412 for 16.95 (non-member price is $21.95). Contact AAP
publications at 1-888-227-1770 or order online at www.aap.org/bookstore.
Summary
of Changes Made to the PPE Form:
The revised
pre-participation physical evaluation form has been available for use
for about a year now and there seems to be some confusion concerning the
new two-page format. The
cardiac portion of the history has added a few questions to clarify
pertinent family cardiac history as well as address specifically Marfan
syndrome. A few other
questions have been added or re-worded for clarification as well.
On the back of page
one is the physical examination section, which is basically unchanged
except for the addition of a “sensitive question” section which is
there to facilitate discussion between the adolescent and his/her
physician on more sensitive issues such as sexuality, tobacco, substance
use, etc. The second page
has two identical half-page clearance forms that the physician signs to
determine clearance to participate.
The second clearance form is for follow-up clearance.
For example, if an athlete is not cleared pending cardiology
consultation, we give them the top half recommending cardiac evaluation.
If they are cleared by cardiology, they can return to us with
cardiology clearance letter, and we then fill out the bottom clearance
form clearing them without restriction that they take back to the school
or coach. The clearance
form is the only form that the coach or athletic trainer at the school
should have access to. For
privacy purposes, the first two pages (history, physical, sensitive
issues) should remain locked in the athletic director’s office.
The coaches or athletic trainers need to take the clearance forms
with them to the field and on away trips for emergency treatment in the
event the athlete needs medical care.
Therefore, the clearance form should contain pertinent
information (medical conditions, medications and allergies) that the EMT
or ER physician needs to know in the event of an emergency.
A further improvement,
in my opinion, would be to include parent’s or guardian emergency
contact information on the clearance form in addition to the demographic
section of the history form. I
have been writing the parent’s emergency contact information on the
back of the clearance form so it is available to the coach, rather than
being locked up at the school.
provided
by David Marshall, MD, FAAP
