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2. What do you expect will be the key medical/safety concerns this year. How do you prepare to meet these potential problems?
Hypothermia due to the temperature extremes
and the alpine altitudes will present the most problems, together with the increased potential for trauma.
3. If someone is injured on the course, do you go out and attend to them there or are they brought out? How do they bring them out and where do they go for treatment?
The medical/rescue team can go anywhere a competitor can: walking, swimming, rappelling, helicopter access included
Our preference is to access them on scene, treat as appropriate and then return them to one of our medical facilities (at the main Camp).
Further treatment is available at the hospitals in New Zealand should the illness/injury be beyond our capabilities or require lengthy treatment.
A Medical Evacuation and Repatriation policy will also be purchased as part of special Insurance for the racers.
4. Do you feel teams are in better shape than in earlier years? Are they training different ways? Do you hear from them before the race and do they stay in touch with you afterwards.
Some seasoned teams are returning, but there are also some new teams!!!
Training has become more sophisticated, but then some teams are also slower in getting their acts together!!!
We do keep in contact, and our team also services other adventure race around the world.
We have many adventure racing friends, and get consistent feedback throughout the year.
5. What are some of the types of medical things you've had to deal with in past races?
Australia
Morocco:
Patagonia:
Borneo:
6. What medical/safety issues are there for the production crews and other non-race personnel?
Many of the same as for racers:
7. Tell me about your medical helicopter -- what will it have on board, what's new and different, compared to other helicopters, what situations you expect to use it in. How many helicopters total will be on hand?
The machines are classified as "light utility" helicopters, and there are expected to be four in total, two dedicated to race logistics and two to film production.
One of the logistical helicopters will be able to be fitted with medical gear and a stretcher kit for safe transport of a patient, though these are not dedicated Air Ambulances since they have to perform a number of roles.
The choppers will be used for medical team transfers, access to patients and extrication of patients from the field to our base camp hospitals or to the hospital in New Zealand.
8 How big is your team this year (have stats from last year) and your field hospital? Where will you be setting up the tent/tents and how often expect to move it? Can you do surgery there if needed?
We will have 18 persons: doctors, paramedics, physical therapists and nurses.
The medical/rescue team can go anywhere a competitor can.
Our preference is to access them on scene, treat as appropriate and then return them to one of our medical facilities (at the main Camp).
We don't plan to move these camps, and can perform minor operations/procedures there, but prefer not to if it is possible to avoid the potential for contamination etc working outside a sterile environment.
Further treatment is available at the hospital in New Zealand should the illness/injury be beyond our capabilities or require lengthy treatment.
A Medical Evacuation and Repatriation policy will also be purchased as part of special Insurance for the racers.
9 What's the coolest/most unusual item of equipment you'll be bringing into the field?
Too many to choose from!!
I'll say the matchbox sized Pulse Oximeter for testing blood oxygenation
The GPS which fits on the wrist is also pretty cool.
10 In what other situations could your team's experience be applicable? Are you sort of a testing ground for field/combat medicine?
We specialise in both Medical and Rescue elements of events and looking after specific venues.
Action and adventure races, especially those in remote areas are our forte.
Film and Television sets, especially where stunts are involved, are also very applicable....it's no longer good enough to have a Stunt Co-ordinator and a Unit Nurse....they are neither trained nor experienced for medical and rescue interventions.
Because we do not spend extended periods under these conditions (we are not military aligned, and do not work at present with any prolonged humanitarian relief agency postings to Kosovo or East Timor etc, we cannot be considered in the same league as those full time agencies.
Bottom line is ACCESS to the patients.....being able to go where they can go, and working outside of the hospital or clinic environment.
As the Cunard Luxury Shipping Company motto goes: "getting there is half the fun">
You'll see from our website that our motto is "Expect the Unexpected", and the generic term for what we do is Medical Risk Management.
We also have an Internet site at
www.ias.com.au where we have attached Scientific Papers I have written after the last two events, and which may help you understand my company and our team.
Medical Director
Eco Challenge
Email ado@ias.com.au
Internet
www.ias.com.auMEDICAL QUOTES:
"Eco Challenge doesn’t just bend competitors, it breaks them"
Regarding Hypothermia: "You’re not dead till you’re warm and dead"
"My advice to athletes for the Eco Challenge from Day 1: BULK UP……you’re going to need the calories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Thunderbirds are go!!!" …………..another Medical /Rescue team launch
"The race course in New Zealand is spectacularly beautiful, but ruthless. You fall here , and you’re going to be a long time getting up…………it’s going to hurt"
"We’re like a M*A*S*H* Unit in peacetime"
"Planning the medical facilities for a race like Eco Challenge is like a giant chess game…………you move your medical and rescue teams around trying to anticipate problem areas and teams in trouble, and sometimes you get it right. We haven’t been check-mated yet."
"If it can go wrong for the Medical/Rescue team, it will…………….and usually in the worst possible circumstances: at night, in the rain, and it will be freezing!"
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