Gulf Breeze, Fla.-based Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine purchased cold water immersion tubs for 23 Florida-based high schools and three colleges to help treat exertional heat stroke.
Here's what you should know.
1. Getting an athlete suffering from heat stroke to a cooling tub rapidly is essential to combat heat-related illness.
2. Nonsurgical sports medicine physician Michael Milligan, MD, said, "Our goal is to get a student-athlete in a cold tub during a heat crisis before Emergency Medical Services transports them. We want to lower the student-athlete's core body temperature as quickly as possible and cold water immersion is the fastest method of cooling."
3. Andrews is ensuring athletic trainers are also trained in identifying and treating heat illness.
4. The Florida High School Athletic Association is considering a measure which would require mandatory on-campus tubs. However, it was delayed until June. Dr. Milligan is an advocate of the measure and feels all schools should have access to cold tubs. He said, "I think that requiring all schools to have access to cold tubs is the goal, and I am proud to work for an organization that is already putting this practice to work on a daily basis."