WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT:Two small studies have been conducted on numbers of sport-related concussions in younger child athletes (pre-high school). WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:This is the first study to characterize a national sample of emergency department visits for young child athletes compared with older athletes. abstract OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to characterize emergency department (ED) visits for pediatric sport-related concussion (SRC) in pre-high school-versus high school-aged athletes.

Objectives: Limited research exists describing youth football injuries, and many of these are confined to specific regions or communities. The authors describe U.S. pediatric football injury patterns receiving emergency department (ED) evaluation and compare injury patterns between the younger and older youth football participants.Methods: A retrospective analysis of ED data on football injuries was performed using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program. Injury risk estimates were calculated over a 5-year period (2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005) using participation data from the National Sporting Goods Association. Injury types are described for young (7-11 years) and adolescent (12-17 years) male football participants.Results: There were an estimated total of 1,060,823 visits to U.S. EDs for males with football-related injuries. The most common diagnoses in the younger group (7-11 years) were fracture ⁄ dislocation (29%), sprain ⁄ strain (27%), and contusion (27%). In the older group (ages 12-17 years), diagnoses included sprain ⁄ strain (31%), fracture ⁄ dislocation (29%), and contusion (23%). Older participants had a significantly higher injury risk of injury over the 5-year study period: 11.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 9.2 to 12.8) versus 6.1 (95% CI = 4.8 to 7.3) per 1,000 participants ⁄ year. Older participants had a higher injury risk across all categories, with the greatest disparity being with traumatic brain injury (TBI), 0.8 (95% CI = 0.6 to 1.0) versus 0.3 (95% CI = 0.2 to 0.4) per 1,000 participants ⁄ year.Conclusions: National youth football injury patterns are similar to those previously reported in community and cohort studies. Older participants have a significantly higher injury risk, especially with TBI.ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2009; 16:243-248 ª

In the fall of 2005, the coast of Louisiana was devastated by two hurricanes, Katrina and Rita. Not only did these natural disasters have detrimental effects for those directly in their path, the storms had an impact on the lives of everyone in Louisiana. The professional practice of many Louisiana school nurses was affected by several factors, including a sudden influx of students with no medical records. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted to gain an understanding of school nurses' feelings and experiences related to the hurricanes and their aftermath. Forty-one school nurses participated in the study, and findings revealed significant effects on their personal and professional lives. Themes within each area were identified: uncertainty, hopelessness and helplessness, thankfulness, practice challenges, and practice rewards. Implications for school nursing practice include the need for support during natural disasters and the importance of school nurse involvement in disaster preparedness.