title: Skin infections in high school wrestlers: a nurse practitioner's guide to diagnosis, treatment, and return to participation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide nurse practitioners (NPs) with a current guide for the diagnosis and treatment of high school wrestlers who present with common skin infections and to familiarize NPs with the National Federation of High School Associations Sports Medicine Advisory Committee return to participation guide and medical release form.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature review of evidence-based research, journal articles, and reference texts related to skin lesions and high school wrestlers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High school wrestlers with skin infections present in a variety of clinical settings. Improperly diagnosed and/or managed skin infections have the potential to get worse and continue to spread among teammates. Accurate diagnosis and treatment in combination with the use of a return to participation guide can improve outcomes and return the wrestler to participation sooner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NPs have a responsibility to accurately diagnose and treat skin lesions in a timely, safe, and efficient manner. In wrestling, athletes are exposed to unique opportunities to develop skin infections. With a working knowledge of the clinical presentation, diagnostic testing, and return to participation recommendations for common skin diseases, spread of skin infections to other wrestlers can be prevented and the athlete can return to play safely.
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.
authors.forename: Krista R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Estes
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D012307:Risk Factors; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000451:nursing; D013178:Sports Medicine; D014952:Wrestling
keywords: Adolescents; clinical decision making; dermatology; disease; nurse practitioners; prevention; sports medicine