title: Exertional Heat Stroke and American Football: What the Team Physician Needs to Know.
abstract: Football is recognized as a leading contributor to sports injury secondary to the contact collision nature of the endeavor. While direct deaths from head and spine injury remain a significant contributor to the number of catastrophic injuries, indirect deaths (systemic failure) predominate. Exertional heat stroke has emerged as one of the leading indirect causes of death in high school and collegiate football. This review details for the team physician the unique challenge of exercising in the heat to the football player, and the prevention, diagnosis, management, and return-to-play issues pertinent to exertional heat illnesses.
authors.forename: Jillian E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Sylvester
authors.forename: Luke N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Belval
authors.forename: Douglas J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Casa
authors.affiliation: Military and Emergency Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD. francis.oconnor@usuhs.edu.
authors.forename: Francis G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: O'Connor
mesh_terms: D005538:Football; D018883:Heat Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D012574:Schools; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities