The emergency care network of a ski marathon

Abstract

In this paper we report the system of emergency care that was used in a large-scale cross-country ski marathon. We describe the typical terrain encountered, personnel required, physical facilities, communication system, injury protocol, and types and numbers of injuries seen. We have found that many injuries can occur in a cross-country ski race, given specific race conditions. A complete and efficient emergency care network is essential to the success of any athletic event similar to the one we report. These races are rapidly growing in number and size, yet we could not find any previous reports in the literature pertaining to the medical care necessary. We hope to provide a model for emergency care that can be applied to many different athletic events involving large numbers of participants and covering great distances.