National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Skin Diseases

Abstract

These guidelines are intended to provide relevant information on skin infections and to give specific recommendations for certified athletic trainers and others participating in athletic health care.

Epidemiology of Skin Infections in Men's Wrestling: Analysis of 2009–2010 Through 2013–2014 National Collegiate Athletic Association Surveillance Data

“…25 In addition, education regarding the importance of controlling skin infections should be a priority for all collegiate wrestling stakeholders. 23 A majority of the reported skin infections occurred within 5 of the 35 team-seasons examined, highlighting the contagious nature of skin infections. However, given the limitations of these surveillance data, we were unable to determine whether the skin infections were causally related.…”

“…1,3,7,10,14 Therefore, these data provide the largest in-depth examination of recent skin infection data from multiple collegiate wrestling teams, which can help inform skin infectionprevention protocols. According to the National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement 23 on skin diseases, infection-control policies are recommended for all collegiate institutions, including cleaning and disinfecting of all facilities, encouraging hand hygiene, and ensuring the practice of athlete hygiene. Currently, the National Wrestling Coaches Association 24 offers a Webinar on skin infections and the National Federation of State High School Associations 25 emphasizes proper care for and prevention of communicable skin conditions.…”

“…These skin infections are highly contagious: at least 72 hours are recommended before return to sport. 23 It is possible that these skin infections were discovered before a break in participation (eg, weekends, holidays), which would have allowed the student-athlete to complete the prescribed antibiotic course and return to sport once team activities resumed. Alternatively, the student-athlete may have self-treated or sought medical care from outside providers before reporting the skin infection to the institution's medical health providers.…”

“…If an infectious skin condition is identified, the student-athlete is often barred from competing until it has resolved. 23 For this reason, student-athletes, coaches, and medical professionals may be more likely to identify and attempt to treat skin infections during practice in order to prevent a last-minute withdrawal from competition. Skin checks before both competition and practice and removal from participation after identification of contagious skin conditions are necessary to prevent the spread of these diseases.…”

The impact of skin and soft tissue infections on college athletic programs and prevention policies.

“…In the NATA position statement on skin diseases published in the Journal of Athletic Training (Zinder, 2010) the guidelines are to diagnose MRSA based on history and appearance, and perform a culture if the lesion is questionable. Over 65% used an outside source for diagnosis, but almost 44% also diagnosed in their own setting.…”