Nfhs Medical Release Form For Wrestler To Participate With Skin Lesion(S) printable pdf download

NFHS MEDICAL RELEASE FORM

FOR WRESTLER TO PARTICIPATE WITH SKIN LESION(S)

The National Federation of State High School Associations’ (NFHS) Sports Medicine Advisory Committee has developed a medical

release form for wrestlers to participate with skin lesion(s) as a suggested model you may consider adopting for your state. The NFHS

Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) conducted a survey among specialty, academic, public health and primary care

physicians and reviewed extensively the literature available on the communicability of various skin lesions at different stages of

disease and treatment. No definitive data exists that allow us to absolutely predict when a lesion is no longer shedding organisms that

could be transmitted to another wrestler. Another finding from the survey was the significant differences that exist among physicians

relating to when they will permit a wrestler to return to participation after having a skin infection.

Neither the NFHS nor the NFHS SMAC presumes to dictate to professionals how to practice medicine. Nor is the information on this

form meant to establish a standard of care. The NFHS SMAC does feel, however, that the guidelines included on the form represent a

summary consensus of the various responses obtained from the survey, from conversations and from the literature. The committee also

feels that the components of the form are very relevant to addressing the concerns of coaches, parents, wrestlers and appropriate

health-care professionals that led to the research into this subject and to the development of this form.

GOALS FOR ESTABLISHING A WIDELY USED FORM:

Protect wrestlers from exposure to communicable skin disorders. Although most of the skin lesions being discussed generally

have no major long term consequences and are not life threatening, some do have morbidity associated with them and student-

athletes should be protected from contracting skin disorders from other wrestlers or contaminated equipment such as mats.

Allow wrestlers to participate as soon as it is reasonably safe for them and for their opponents and/or teammates using the same

mat.

Establish guidelines to help minimize major differences in management among appropriate health-care professionals who are

signing “return to competition forms”. Consistent use of these guidelines should reduce the likelihood wrestlers catching a skin

disease from participation and suffering from inequalities as to who can or cannot participate.

Provide a basis to support appropriate health-care professional decisions on when a wrestler can or cannot participate. This should

help the appropriate health-care professional who may face incredible pressure from many fronts to return a youngster to

competition ASAP. This can involve any student athlete who never wins a match or the next state champion with a scholarship

pending.

IMPORTANT COMPONENTS FOR AN EFFECTIVE FORM:

Each state association needs to determine which appropriate health-care professional can sign off on this form.

Inclusion of the applicable NFHS wrestling rule so appropriate health-care professionals will understand that covering a

contagious lesion is not an option that is allowed by rule. Covering a non-contagious lesion after adequate therapy to prevent

injury to lesion is acceptable.

Inclusion of the date and nature of treatment and the earliest date a wrestler can return to participation. This should mitigate the

need for a family to incur the expense of additional office visits as occurs when a form must be signed within three days of

wrestling as some do.

Inclusion of a “bodygram” with front and back views should clearly identify the lesion in question. Using non-black ink to

designate skin lesions should result in less confusion or conflict. Also including the number of lesions protects against spread

after a visit with an appropriate health-care professional.

Inclusion of guidelines for minimum treatment before returning the wrestler to action as discussed above. This should enhance the

likelihood that all wrestlers are managed safely and fairly.

Inclusion of all of the components discussed has the potential to remove the referee from making a medical decision. If a lesion is

questioned, the referee’s role could appropriately be only to see if the coach can provide a fully completed medical release form

allowing the wrestler to wrestle.

This form may be reproduced, if desired, and can be edited in anyway for use by various individuals or organizations. In addition, the

NFHS SMAC would welcome comments for inclusion in future versions as this will continue to be a work in progress.

Revised/Approved by NFHS SMAC - April 2015

Nfhs Medical Release Form For Wrestler To Participate With Skin Lesion(S)

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