Sideline management of facial injuries

Physicians who cover sporting events frequently encounter facial injuries. These injuries include contusions, hematomas, abrasions, lacerations, ruptured tympanic membranes, and fractures. For most physicians covering events, the diagnoses and decisions on returning athletes to play must be made without many of the diagnostic tools available in the office, such as radiographs, nasopharyngoscopes, or CT scans. As a result, physicians must rely on focused histories and thorough physical examinations to make their diagnoses and ultimately determine if injured participants can continue in their respective events.