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Casualties During Marathon Events and Implications for Medical Support
Juliana Poh1, Venkataraman Anantharaman1
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medicine Academic Clinical Program, SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road, Singapore 169608, Singapore.
High heat index during tropical marathons significantly increases severe casualty rates. Implementing heat-mitigation strategies is crucial for runner safety and reducing marathon injuries.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Environmental Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Marathon running in tropical climates is associated with elevated injury risks.
- Understanding injury burden is vital for event planning, medical support, and participant safety in hot environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze injury rates and casualty data from the Singapore Marathon (2013-2016).
- To investigate the correlation between heat index and casualty rates.
- To inform strategies for enhancing medical support and participant safety during mass sporting events in tropical regions.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of casualty data from 2013-2016 Singapore Marathon.
- Calculation of Patient Presentation Rate (PPR) and Transport to Hospital Rate (THR).
- Correlation analysis between heat index and casualty rates using negative binomial regression.
Main Results:
- Heat index rose from 29° to 35° during the study period.
- Full marathon runners experienced higher casualty rates compared to other race categories.
- A 1-unit increase in heat index correlated with a 22% rise in severe casualties (Incidence Rate Ratio 1.22).
- Half marathon and full marathon runners faced significantly higher risks of injury (1.58x and 3.87x, respectively) compared to 10 km racers.
Conclusions:
- Adverse weather conditions, particularly high heat index, significantly increase injury rates in marathon runners.
- Implementing heat and humidity mitigation measures is essential to minimize injuries during strenuous activities in tropical environments.
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