Boksmart focus on head and spinal injuries

A new blue card for rugby referees has been introduced to be issued of suspected spinal or head injuries during a match. The South African Rugby Union introduced the Boksmart programme several years ago, which places significant focus on the management of all elements of rugby in a safe manner. The core focus of this was to reduce the amount of head and spinal injuries, as well as the reduction of the recovery time of the patient.

The union has now introduced a new blue card for the referees with 11 specific signs or symptoms of a spinal or head injury that they could easily identify on a player ranging from loss of consciousness and confusion to changes in the player’s behavior. Once the blue card has been issued to a player they will be permanently removed form the field and the referee will submit the player’s details to the union which will be stored on a database. Referees have also received training on spinal and head injury management.

“The medics at the matches have also been using the SCAT 3 assessment that we complete field side for a concussion. This assessment will be submitted to the schools who will then submit it to the provincial rugby union,” said Stefan Beytell of PDA Health. “We have always had a great working relationship with the referees and this blue card would further strengthen that relationship while also elevating the patient’s safety and promoting recovery. We have seen some extreme cases of concussion over the years, but the improved short and long term management of these injuries are assisting in ensuring that players are taken care of swiftly and efficiently.

The general signs of a concussion are: confusion, loss of consciousness, changes in behavior, coordination difficulties, memory difficulties and visual difficulties, to name a few, and symptoms may be delay for up to two to three weeks depending on the patient.

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“Neck injuries are also in the spotlight with the Boksmart programme where the union, under advise from doctors, has recommended that all normal school, club and community rugby matches should at minimum have first aiders attending to the matches with spinal immobilisation equipment, including a spinal board, cervical collars, head blocks, harness, a first aid kit and the SCAT 3 documents. The referee cannot start a match if this isn’t at the venue. The referees, medics and coaches are all a part of a symbiotic playing environment to make sure that our players are taken care of properly,” said Beytell.

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