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body part with their hands, and perform special tests to see how the bone and muscle work (or don’t work). They can then diagnose the person’s injury and begin to create a treatment plan to help him get better. In some cases, ATs may refer a patient to another health care professional for an x-ray, an ultrasound, an MRI, or a CT scan to determine the severity of the injury. Emergency Care Sometimes a person may become severely injured while under the watchful eye of an athletic trainer. ATs are the first respon- ders in these situations, assessing and treating injuries until other medical professionals can transport the injured person to a hospital. In life-threatening situations, ATs can perform car- diopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), use drugs and a defibrilla- tor to help get a person’s heart to start beating again, control bleeding, put a splint on a broken bone, or use a spine board to help prevent further injury to a patient. In non–life-threaten- ing emergencies, ATs are trained to manage head injuries, seizures, diabetes, asthma, shock, allergic reactions, and a host of other emergencies until the injured or ill person can be treat- ed by a physician. Treatment and Rehabilitation Once people become injured, ill, or disabled, or if they have undergone surgery, athletic trainers use their knowledge of the body to create a treatment plan to help them regain their health and mobility. Treatment plans are always tailored to the person and the injury. They may include exercises to improve balance,

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