Medical management of the athlete: evaluation and treatment of important issues in sports medicine.

Providing care to athletes involves much more than simply treating musculoskeletal injuries. Many of the illnesses and disease processes that affect the general population are also seen in competitive athletes. Medical management of these conditions, however, can be challenging. Treatment plans need to be tailored to the individual athlete and take into consideration the rigors and demands of his or her particular sport. Important conditions that all physicians who provide care for athletes should be familiar with are sudden cardiac death, hypertension, concussion, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections, the female athlete triad, diabetes mellitus, and asthma.