Search

Background: The benefits of sport are well recognized, but many activities carry a sport-specific injury risk. Snowboarding has become an increasingly popular winter sport in Austria in recent years, with an estimated 900,000 participants annually. Roughly 6,000 of these suffer from injury and up to 2,000 sustain moderate or severe wrist injuries (mainly fractures of the distal radius and epiphysiolyses)., Methods: We conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled trial to test the protective effect of a wrist protector, which differs in position, stiffness, length, and fixation from conventional protectors. Seven hundred twenty-one snowboarders were randomized into two groups. The risk factors and the injuries that occurred were registered by questionnaires and, in case of medical treatment, by medical reports. Time until injury (in half-days) was compared by the proportional hazards model., Results: Nine severe wrist injuries were sustained in the unprotected control group and only one in the protected group (hazard ratio, 0.13; 95% confidence limits, 0.02, 1.04). Twelve snowboarders of the protector group secretly discarded their protectors during the trial (including the snowboarder who suffered the one and only severe wrist injury of this group). A per-protocol analysis was therefore performed, which demonstrated a more accentuated result (p = 0.003). There was no statistically significant increase in the incidence of other types of injury. Experience was shown to be a further protective factor., Conclusion: We recommend the use of a wrist protector, particularly for novices participating in this sport. As in other domains of medicine, preventive measures can decrease morbidity also in terms of sport injuries.

Objective: To assess the validity of early sensory evoked potential (SEP) recording for reliable outcome prediction in comatose cardiac arrest survivors within 48 h after restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC)., Design and Setting: Prospective cohort study in a medical intensive care unit of a university hospital., Patients: Twenty-five comatose, mechanically ventilated patients following cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Measurements and Results: Median nerve short- and long-latency SEP were recorded 4, 12, 24, and 48 h after ROSC. Cortical N20 peak latency and cervicomedullary conduction time decreased (improved) significantly between 4, 12, and 24 h after resuscitation in 22 of the enrolled patients. There was no further change in short-latency SEP at 48 h. The cortical N70 peak was initially detectable in seven patients. The number of patients with increased N70 peak increased to 11 at 12 h and 14 at 24 h; there was no further change at 48 h. Specificity of the N70 peak latency (critical cutoff 130 ms) increased from 0.43 at 4 h to 1.0 at 24 h after ROSC. Sensitivity decreased from 1.0 at 4 h to 0.83 at 24 h after ROSC., Conclusion: Within 24 h after ROSC there was a significant improvement in SEP. Therefore we recommend allowing a period of at least 24 h after cardiopulmonary resuscitation for obtaining a reliable prognosis based on SEP.

Objective: Survey of a group of snowboarders and study of their injuries, as well as analysis of the risk of injury considering the time spent on the snowboard., Materials and Methods: Of 7,221 students participating in winter sport programs organized by Austrian schools, 2,745 of those riding snowboards were asked to fill out questionnaires pertaining to demographics, their experience level, equipment, snowboard riding habits, and associated injuries., Results: A total of 2,579 snowboarders (94%), who spent a total of 10,119 days snowboarding, filled out a questionnaire which could be evaluated. A total of 152 snowboarders had suffered a mean of 10.6 injuries per 1,000 days of snowboarding, which required medical care; 5.4/1,000 injuries were moderate or severe. The most common injuries were to the wrist (32%), the hand (20%), and the head (11%). The rate of injury was especially high during the first half-day (roughly 3 hours). Use of wrist protection devices reduced injuries to the wrist from 2 to 0.5% (p = 0.048)., Conclusion: Risk of snowboard related injury was highest in beginners. Through the use of wrist protection devices, the incidence of the most common injuries was dramatically reduced.