Use of Lifesaving Medications by Athletic Trainers

The athletic trainer's (AT's) emergency management skillset requires competency in the delivery of basic lifesaving medications. Some lifesaving medications have been a part of athletic training practice for decades, but that list has grown as ATs' practice settings have expanded, increasing the types of emergent conditions that the AT may have to treat. The 2020 Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) curricular standards require that athletic training students be trained to administer the following: supplemental oxygen, nitroglycerine, low-dose aspirin, bronchodilators, epinephrine using an automated injection device, glucagon, and naloxone. Clinically, the conditions treated by these medications can be categorized as cardiac, respiratory, hypoglycemia, and anaphylaxis. All ATs should know the indications, contraindications, administration methods, and details of patient monitoring for each medication. Generally, these medications are safe and have clear indications for use and few contraindications. Although ATs are trained to administer these medications, they must consider state laws and local policies governing administration.