ODU expert warns against heat-related illness for high school athletes

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Samm Scarneo-Miller says the bright sun and searing heat of late summer can bring dark days for high school athletes.

"As soon as July 25 hits, my phone is going to start pinging left and right from friends around the country telling me another kid died," she said in a Tuesday interview.

The assistant professor of athletic training at Old Dominion University consults at sporting events in other regions, and has been an expert witness in cases of heat exertion injury and death.

Scarneo-Miller said team practices this time of year, especially football, are dangerous without the right precautions.

"Going into these triple-digit numbers, we need to be very cognizant of the fact that people are very likely to get exertional heat illnesses with very little effort," she said.

Confusion, altered mental status, slurred speech

Very high body temperature (105+ degrees)

Scarneo-Miller said it's important to know what to do when those signs emerge and an athlete is in jeopardy.

"Exertional heat stroke can be fatal if it is not properly recognized," she said. "However, when it is properly recognized and treated within 30 minutes of collapse, it is 100% survivable. The way that we can save people's lives is by having a tub, water and ice."

Immersion in the ice water bath is what will get the core body temperature below the critical threshold of 105 degrees, and Scarneo-Miller isn't afraid to be creative.

"I have treated patients in a garbage can before — at a cross-country meet, we didn't have enough immersion tubs, and we cleared out a garbage can."

Virginia has restrictions when it comes to two-a-day practices, but Scarneo-Miller said unlike 21 other states, Virginia does not take into account what's known as wet bulb globe temperature.

"It takes into account air temperature, radiation, wind speed and humidity, whereas heat index is only talking about air temp and humidity," she said.

Korey Stringer was a Minnesota Vikings lineman who died of heat-related illness in 2001. The Korey Stringer Institute ranks the states for how well their policies address safety for athletes in in extreme heat. Virginia is among the worst at number 46. North Carolina makes the top 10 at number 8. Georgia was ranked the best.