Life Threatening Injury

I was reading the latest edition of the NATA (national athletic trainiers association) news and came across the story of Houston football player D.J. Hayden, and how the quick response of his athletic trainer, Mike O'Shea, likely saved his life.  If you are a member of the NATA, I encourage you to read the story.  If you are not a member, this ESPN.com article offers a pretty good summary of the injury. 

The injury that Hayden suffered was a torn inferior vena cava.  The inferior vena cava is the large vein that carries deoxygenated blood from the lower extremity into the right atrium of the heart.  A tear of this structure results in massive internal bleeding and is a serious medical injury.  According to the story in NATA news, Hayden went up to intercept a pass and another teammate's knee hit him just underneath the sternum, right below where the protection from his shoulder pads ended.  O'Shea examined Hayden on the field and again on the sidelines, and quickly decided to move him into the locker room.  Because Hayden's signs and symptoms were not adding up with a typical chest injury, O'Shea and the team physician went ahead and called the paramedics, who decided to take him to the nearest trauma center.  The doctors at the hospital suspected a ruptured spleen or liver, but soon discovered that it was his inferior vena cava that was ruptured.  According to the article, there have not been any documented cases of a torn vena cava occurring during athletic competition.  It more commonly results from a gunshot wound or car accident.

The doctors were able to repair the rupture in his vena cava, and Hayden is expected to make a full recovery.  The doctors stated that the fact Hayden also broke his diaphragm during the injury likely helped save his life, because it allowed the blood from the ruptured vena cava to pool in his adbomen instead of around his heart.  The doctors also stated that if he had arrived at the hospital 5 minutes later he likely would have died.  This was a remarkable job by the entire medical staff, beginning with the athletic trainer.  The typical survival rate for a torn vena cava is around 5%.  You never know what may happen when you step out onto the field or court to cover a practice or game, and the actions of this athletic trainer helped save a life.