SABAH ADVENTURE CHALLENGE 2006: MEDICAL NOTES

Each team in the Sabah Adventure Challenge is required to have a medical kit and the teams are required to carry a basic medical kit such as the one listed below, with them when racing.

While some medical assistance will be available and will be provided for emergencies during the race, participants should be aware that there may be times that medical assistance may not be immediately available should an injury take place in a remote area.

Medical assistance will be available at the base camp for all participants. If a participant requires further treatment or requires treatment that is not available at the base camp, the medical team and organizers will arrange for the participant to be transported to the nearest hospital.

The medical team at the base camp will not be responsible for handling routine foot care (treatment of minor blisters etc). These are the responsibility of the race participants themselves and participants should ensure that they have enough blister dressings to last the full duration of the race.

Participants who have known allergies should inform the Race Doctor of these, before the start of the race.

Participants requiring intravenous fluids/rehydration at anytime during the duration of the Sabah Adventure Challenge will be automatically disqualified.

The decision of the Race Doctors or the Race Director to stop a participant from continuing the race or to disqualify the participant on medical grounds shall be final and non-disputable.

The use of all stimulants (e.g. caffeine tablets) is strictly prohibited.

Medical Kit for Participants:

1. 3” x 5ft roll of stretch gauze bandage material (e.g. Crepe, ACE wrap, Coban or Peha-haft).
2. 3” x 5ft roll of non-stretch Sports Strapping tape (NOT duct tape).
3. 2” x 3” non-adherent wound dressing (e.g. Melolin).
4. 3” x 5” pressure dressing for heavy bleeding.
5. Electrolyte replacement tablets or sachets, minimum sodium content: 400 mg each. Table salt is not acceptable.
6. Water purification tablets or equivalent in liquid form.
7. Anti-histamine tablets (non-sedating anti-histamines are recommended e.g. Clarityne, Aerius/Clarinex, Telfast/Allegra).
8. Blister dressings (e.g. Compeed, Moleskin). Each team should ensure that they have enough for three race days.
9. Antiseptic solution (e.g. Betadine, Iodine).
10. Anti-itch cream or gel (e.g. Eurax, Hydrocortisone, Eumovate).
11. Anti-inflammatory tablets (Ibuprofen, Synflex, Feldene, Aspirin etc).
12. Anti-diarrhoea tablets (e.g. Lomotil, Imodium).
13. Anti-bacterial ointment or cream (e.g. Bactraban, Neosporin).
14. Sunblock (SPF 30+) and lip balm with sun screen.
15. A small pair of scissors.
16. For those with known medical conditions: appropriate quantities of their required medication.

Leptospirosis

As the race may involve traveling in or traversing rivers and streams, race participants and volunteers are advised there may be a slightly increased risk of contracting Leptospirosis. Leptospirosis is caused by a bacterium and is usually transmitted to humans through water contaminated with urine from infected animals.

Preventive Measures: There is no vaccine available to prevent leptospirosis. Participants might benefit from chemoprophylaxis. Until further data becomes available, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta recommends that travelers who might be at increased risk for leptospirosis be advised to consider chemoprophylaxis with doxycycline (200 milligrams orally, once a week), begun 1 to 2 days before exposure and continuing through the period of exposure. Participants should consult their own doctors about this before arriving for the race. The Organisers and the Race Medical Team will not be providing race participants with any prophylactic medication.

 Malaria

Malaria should not pose a major problem as the race will not be held in known malarial areas but as always, there is a very small amount of risk involved and participants, especially those from overseas, are advised to take malaria prophylaxis. They should consult their own doctors on this matter, for appropriate prophylaxis