Injury And Illness Profiles During The 2014 South African Ironman Ultra-distance Triathlon

Abstract

PURPOSE: High physiological demands on ultra-endurance triathletes and potentially serious medical complications require scrutiny of illness and injury profiles. Accurate data are required for planning of medical services. The aims of the study were to record medical history, illness and injuries of athletes receiving medical attention during the 2014 Ironman South Africa (IMSA) triathlon, and to investigate the temporal presentation of medical encounters, to optimise deployment of medical services for IMSA events. METHODS: A retrospective, cross-sectional study of all medical encounters and associated factors during the 2014 IMSA was conducted. RESULTS: The incidence of medical encounters was 7.8%. A significantly higher percentage of younger participants encountered medical problems (p=0.04). The majority of patient encounters (80.1%) occurred after completion of the race, and 49.2% of patient encounters occurred during the last eight hours of the event. The median duration of treatment was 26 minutes (2-126 minutes). Medication was used by 35.1% of patients during the race, and 36.2% in the three preceding days. The most common medical encounters were exertion-related (71.2%), followed by gastro-intestinal (16.4%), dermatological (11.9%), musculoskeletal (9.6%) and cardiorespiratory conditions (2.4%). CONCLUSION: Medical encounters occurred more frequently in later stages of the 2014 IMSA, as recorded elsewhere. The majority of medical conditions were exertion-related. Potential higher risk has been associated with medication use, recent illness, and in younger participants. Temporal stacking of medical personnel and resources, planning of resources according to expected conditions, preventative measures for high-risk behaviour, and on-going data collection are recommended.