Age and Sex Are Strongly Correlated to the Rate and Type of Mountain Injuries Requiring Search and Rescue Missions

Abstract

IntroductiondBecause of the growing popularity of mountain tourism, the number of injuries related to mountain activities has increased rapidly. The regional volunteer search and rescue team (Tatra mountain rescue team [MRT], Poland) anticipates future increases in injuries and accidents.MethodsdAn analysis was performed on Tatra MRT incident reports for the years 2012 through 2013. These reports include information on the mechanism of injury, weather conditions, and demographic data of the injured tourists. The data were provided by the operation supervisor of each search and rescue mission. The study group consisted of 844 reports (median age 37 y, range 18e90 y). The analysis was designed to determine whether features such as age and sex of the injured tourist were correlated to the injury mechanisms (as identified by the rescuers) or their National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics L International Committee for Alpine Rescue (NACA ICAR) score.ResultsdOur study of the Tatra MRT data revealed that age and sex are risk factors for the rate and severity of injuries in the mountain environment. Injured men were more likely to require resource-intensive search and rescue missions and usually had a worse NACA ICAR score (P¼ 0.041). The age analysis showed that older people are more likely to sustain a serious injury (3e7 NACA ICAR score). However, the most common rescue scenario involved younger males (20e40 y) at a higher altitude (>1500 m, P< 0.001).ConclusionsdSex and age are associated with the mechanisms and severity of injuries in the mountain environment. They should be considered in the development of appropriate prevention and response programs. Further studies are needed to confirm the results.

Growth of Rescues in Natural Areas during the First Summer of COVID-19 Pandemic in Catalonia

“…One of the consequences of this was an increase in emergency service activity to rescue people in natural areas. The growth in the number of people visiting these areas also increased the probability of them having accidents there [15,18,[53][54][55]. Undertaking activities in natural areas often involves a certain element of risk.…”

“…The incidents can result from a wide range of factors rather than one specific cause related to poor decision making or adverse environmental conditions [14]. The rising number of people involved in outdoor recreation and leisure activities in natural areas has increased the possibility of injury and illness which may require emergency medical attention [15][16][17][18], and has led to an increase in the number of rescues carried out [19][20][21].…”

Aumento de rescates en espacios naturales durante Semana Santa 2021 en Cataluña: una consecuencia indirecta de la COVID-19

“…Incluso en la práctica del senderismo, que puede parecer una actividad relativamente segura, se pueden producir accidentes de mayor o menor gravedad debido a un calzado inadecuado, no disponer de agua o a unas condiciones meteorológicas adversas (Boore & Bock, 2013). El número cada vez mayor de personas que participan en actividades deportivas y recreativas en espacios naturales ha aumentado la posibilidad de sufrir accidentes que pueden requerir atención médica (Amarowicz et al, 2019;Gardner & Hill, 2002;Johnson et al, 2007;Pearce et al, 2019;Roi, 2021) y, por consiguiente, ha supuesto un aumento en el número de rescates realizados por parte de los servicios de emergencia (Ciesa et al, 2015;Lischke et al, 2001;Vanpoulle et al, 2021).…”