Subject(s)
Humans , Adult , Middle Aged , Developing Countries , Life Support Care , Wounds and Injuries/mortality , Age Factors , Injury Severity Score , Life Support Care/statistics & numerical data , Trinidad and Tobago/epidemiology , Wounds and Injuries/therapy , Wounds, Nonpenetrating/mortality , Wounds, Nonpenetrating/therapy , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Long distance running in hot environmental conditions is plagued by many medical problems, heat injuries being the commonest and most severe. During the period October 1985 - October 1987, we have studied 12 running events of 10 km or more, in which a total of 5,624 athletes participated. There was 450 cases of heat injury (8 percent) with 1 death from heat stroke. The number and severity of the injuries were directly proportional to the effective temperature. All the injuries occurred when the temperature was 85§F - 96§F and the relative humidity waas above 75 percent. There was also a direct relationship with the level of training (miles per week) and injury. The number of injuries was higher in those races where the Sports Medicine Association was not involved in the organisation (13 percent). We have drawn up guidelines which are available from the authors. They include recommended starting times, water and shower availability and the provision of medical facilities. There should be an improvement of race organisation, extensive competitor education and updating of the knowledge of medical personnel involved in these events (AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Heat Exhaustion/prevention & control , Running/injuries , Trinidad and Tobago , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeABSTRACT
Blood loss, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, prolonged paralytic ileus and respiratory problems all contribute to the morbidity and mortality in patients having abdominal aortic aneurysmorraphy. Our experience, using a new technique of "extraperitoneal exclusion", shows that the morbidity and blood transfusiion requirements are less than in conventional transperitoneal exclusion", shows that the morbidity and blood transfusion requirements are less than in conventional transperitoneal aneurysmorraphy. Comparison of 18 exclusions with 12 transperitoneal cases shows a lower blood loss, shorter hospital stay, less paralytic ileus and respiratory complications in the former group. In a developing country, such as ours, with limited intensive care facilities, blood bank stores and hospital beds, aneurysmorraphy by this exclusion technique needs to be considered as the method of choice in patients with aorto-iliac aneurysms (AU)
