Primal Quest Dispatch #4: The Medical Problems Begin
By Greg Friese, MS, NREMT-P, WEMT, Emergency Preparedness Systems, LLC
EMSResponder.com Contributor
Greg Friese reports on Thursday, June 29 about the toll the desert environment and physical activities are taking on racers.
Greg discusses what he has seen as a medical volunteer at race transition areas 5 and 6, where racers arrived after horseback riding, walking, bicycling and kayaking. He describes the flow of racers and their differing needs, with the elite teams arriving first and flying through in minutes, and the less competitive teams trickling in and requiring up to 8 hours or rest or care. He also talks about tracking team locations and other logistics.
Greg’s fourth report also explains that foot problems have been the biggest medical problem for racers, even forcing a few participants out of the race. The primary problem has been severe blistering causing open wounds, as well as swelling. In addition, Greg describes one racer whose skin around his pinky toe was in the process of de-gloving. He explains why these foot problems are happening, and what the medical volunteers are doing to solve them.
Greg also reports on other issues the medical volunteers are seeing, often as a result of the dry desert environment. These have included poison ivy, chest pain, asthma, nosebleeds, dry cough, nausea, vomiting, and eye irritation. Finally, he describes the racers’ nutritional needs and what they are eating to get 5,000 calories per day.
Watch for additional podcasts from Greg Friese straight from the field, and watch for his related feature, “An EMS Adventure: Providing Medical Care for the Primal Quest Adventure Race,” in the September issue of EMS Magazine.