Wrestling With Healthy Skin
With methicillin-resistant staph aureus (MRSA), herpes simplex virus (HSV), warts and other contagious infections on the minds of our students and parents, we wanted to share with you some helpful information to help keep our community safe during this wrestling season. Attached is a diagnostic aid to help you identify common contagious skin conditions, as well as recommendations from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) on how to manage these conditions during the wrestling season. Feel free to share this information with your athletic directors and coaches. If you like, Dr. Slear and Dr. Ellis are happy to schedule a time to speak with your staff, students, or parents.
In addition, here are additional thoughts to help prevent the spread of infection:
• Immediately shower after each practice or competition.
• Wash all athletic clothing worn during practice or competition daily.
• Clean and disinfect gym bags and/or travel bags, if the athlete is carrying dirty workout gear home to be washed and then bringing clean gear back to school in the same bag (note: this problem can also be prevented by using disposable bags for practice laundry).
• Wash athletic gear (such as knee or elbow pads) periodically and hang to dry.
• Clean and disinfect protective equipment such as helmets, shoulder pads, catcher’s equipment and hockey goalie equipment on a regular basis.
• Do not share towels or personal hygiene products with others.
• All skin lesions should be covered before practice or competition to prevent risk of infection to the wound and transmission of illness to other participants; only skin infections that have been properly diagnosed and treated may be covered to allow participation of any kind.
• All new skin lesions occurring during practice or competition should be properly diagnosed and treated immediately.
• Playing fields should be inspected regularly for foreign objects and debris that could cause cuts or abrasions.
• Playing fields should be inspected regularly for animal droppings that could cause bacterial infections of cuts or abrasions.
• Athletic lockers should be sanitized between seasons.
• Rather than carpeting, locker or dressing rooms should have tile floors that can not only be cleaned, but also sanitized.
• Wrestling and gymnastics mats should be sanitized daily.
• Weight room equipment – including benches, bars and handles – should be cleaned and sanitized daily.
• Keep Purell or other alcohol based hand sanitizers available for athletes to use between matches. For convenience, this can be purchased in 2 liter pump dispensers from our on-line store.