KNOWLEDGE OF INJURY PREVENTION AND PREVALENCE OF RISK FACTORS FOR THROWING INJURIES IN A SAMPLE OF YOUTH BASEBALL PLAYERS

Background

Information on baseball injury prevention and pitch count recommendations is growing, however, the incidence of throwing injuries continues to rise. This study is the first to assess knowledge of safe throwing guidelines and risk factors from the perspective of youth athletes.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is two‐fold: (1) to evaluate knowledge of safe throwing guidelines and (2) to assess the reporting of risk factors for throwing injuries in a sample of youth baseball players.

Study Design

Survey study of 98 overhead athletes between the ages of 4 and 18.

Methods

A 35‐question survey was developed with questions related to knowledge of injury prevention, presence of risk factors associated with throwing injuries, and understanding and compliance with USA Baseball Medical & Safety Advisory Committee (USA BMSAC) overhead throwing guidelines.

Results

Respondents demonstrated variability in their knowledge of the USA BMSAC guidelines related to throwing frequencies. The 13‐16 year old age group displayed the least knowledge of USA BMSAC guidelines. The 9‐10 and 11‐12 year old age groups demonstrated the greatest knowledge of recommended BMSAC guidelines. Eighty‐five (82/98) percent of the respondents reported that they had never heard of the USA BMSAC guidelines. Sixty‐two percent (59/98) disagreed with the statement, “The more you throw, the more likely you are to get an injury”. Fifty‐seven percent of respondents (39/98) indicated that they would not seek medical help if they experienced a tired or sore arm during a game.

Conclusion

The results of this study suggest that young baseball players demonstrate the need for education on the following topics: the USA Baseball Medical and Safety Advisory Committee throwing guidelines, risk factors for developing throwing‐related injuries, the long‐term implications of playing with an injured or fatigued arm, and the benefit of seeking medical help when fatigue or soreness is experienced in the throwing arm.

Level of Evidence

Level 3     

Exploring youth and caregiver preferences for asthma education video content

Objective: This study examines (1) whether youth and their caregivers have different preferences for asthma education video topics and (2) if education topic preferences vary by youth and caregiver sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: Youth (n?=?83) ages 7–17 years with persistent asthma and their caregivers were recruited at two pediatric practices in North Carolina. Sociodemographic information and youth and caregiver preferences for nine asthma video education topics were collected during in-person interviews. Bonferroni-corrected Chi-square or McNemar tests (α?=?0.0056) were used to compare youth and caregivers differences in topic preferences and topic preferences by youth and caregiver sociodemographic characteristics, including gender, race, ethnicity, and age. Results: Youth were primarily male (52%) and from low-income families (74%; caregiver annual income less than $30 000) and many were Hispanic (45%). Youth and parents expressed the most interest in the following two topics: “how to deal with triggers” (90% and 95%, respectively) and “how to keep asthma under control” (87% and 96%, respectively). Caregivers and children were discordant for two topics: “the difference between a rescue and controller medicine” and “how to [help your child] talk to your [his/her] friends about asthma.” No differences were found between youth and caregiver sociodemographic characteristics and video topic preferences. Conclusions: Youth with persistent asthma and their caregivers differed in their asthma education topic preferences, but preferences did not vary by caregiver or youth sociodemographic characteristics. Studies examining the effectiveness of interventions tailored to differences in educational preferences of youth with asthma and their caregivers are needed.     

Vascular Imaging in Diabetes

Diabetes is a global epidemic affecting individuals of all socioeconomic backgrounds. Despite intensive efforts, morbidity and mortality secondary to the micro- and macrovascular complications remain unacceptably high. As a result, the use of imaging modalities to determine the underlying pathophysiology, early onset of complications, and disease progression has become an integral component of the management of such individuals. Echocardiography, stress echocardiography, and nuclear imaging have been the mainstay of noninvasive cardiovascular imaging tools to detect myocardial ischemia, but newer modalities such as cardiac MRI, cardiac CT, and PET imaging provide incremental information not available with standard imaging. While vascular imaging to detect cerebrovascular and peripheral arterial disease non-invasively has traditionally used ultrasound, CT- and MRI-based techniques are increasingly being employed. In this review, we will provide an outline of recent studies utilizing non-invasive imaging techniques to assist in disease diagnosis as well as monitoring disease progression. In addition, we will review the evidence for newer modalities such as MR spectroscopy, 3D intravascular ultrasound, and optical coherence tomography that provide exquisite detail of metabolic function and coronary anatomy not available with standard imaging, but that have not yet become mainstream.     

Immune function in Trachemys scripta following exposure to a predominant brevetoxin congener,PbTx-3, as a model for potential health impacts for sea turtles naturally exposed to brevetoxins

Ecotoxicology - Many species of marine life in southwestern Florida, including sea turtles, are impacted by blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis. Sublethal exposure to toxins produced...