DR Sean Petherbridge CMO Abu Dhabi GP

SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM Analysis of Injuries and Further Study

The rally is based at Tal Moreeb in the Empty Quarter

A challenging environment with unique hazards on the route

Passage Control points can be a bit remote...

We use 4 aircraft and find that the 412 airframe is the best. Primary response to any incident is via helicopter

Team Briefing

Typical Incident – Desert Challenge Vehicle activates alarm automatically with impact or rollover alarm or when stationary for a certain time. Vehicle and GPS coordinates visible on screen in Rally Control.

Rally Control

Incident on – Alarm activated

CMO dispatches closest airborne asset to the incident via burst SMS transmission. Open channel contact with vehicle allows immediate assessment in most cases. Helicopter is tasked. Doctors are already on board.

Medical Team attend incident arriving on average <15mins. Racing is not stopped. 2 medics on board.

On scene assessment by medics after SAR crewman happy with scene safety. Clinical decision and treatment by medics on scene. Feedback to CMO. Aircraft lifts to hospital. Alert hospital.

CMO advises hospital of ETA and nature of injury en route. Delivery and handover occurs at hospital.

Ground based sweep teams carry a medic in case of any mishaps

A ground based team may be called for a non emergency or if closest to an incident

Environment Measured 53 degrees in 2009.Measured 50 degrees in Very little breeze sometimes but can be harsh dusty hot wind. Daylight 06:00 to 18:00 approx

Visibility can be poor

FIA Report Summary There were 14 incidents over 5 days requiring an emergency response by air or road 12 were for motorcycles with fractures of clavicle, wrist, vertebra and facial contusions 2 were for profound dehydration CAR INCIDENTS A rally service vehicle was involved in a traffic accident with another car in a remote area. One car passenger suffered a severe head injury. The team responded by road at night. Car 215 had a high speed end over end rollover resulting in a minor head injury and fracture of one hand.

FIA Report Summary There were 11 incidents over 5 days requiring an emergency response by air or road 8 were for motorcycles with fractures of vertebrae, wrists and knee 3 were for profound dehydration CAR INCIDENTS Car 208 had a hard landing resulting in vertebral fracture for the co-driver Car 243 – Both occupants were rehydrated on scene in a remote area Sweep Team 1 requested medevac for medic injured in the line of duty

FIA Report Summary There were 9 incidents over 5 days requiring an emergency response by air or road 8 were for motorcycles with fractures of vertebrae, wrists and femur 2 were for profound dehydration CAR INCIDENTS Car 206 – Both occupants were rehydrated on scene in a remote area

FIA Report Summary There were 14 incidents over 5 days requiring an emergency response by air or road 9 were for motorcycles with fractures of vertebrae, wrists and femur 7 were for profound dehydration CAR INCIDENTS Truck 243 rolled on the Super Special Stage. There were no injuries Car 223 had a hard landing. The co-driver suffered a vertebral fracture Car 240 had a hard nose landing from height. Both occupants suffered vertebral fracture Car 209 had a hard front impact. Driver had back pain. Car 224 hit hard by another vehicle. No injuries when assessed on scene. Car 222 – Both occupants were rehydrated on scene in a remote area

Analysis Number of car or truck based injuries is unpredictable but has increased with the larger number of amateur entrants in recent years Injuries seen mostly from closed vehicles are vertebral fractures. Mechanism is hard landing from height or nose landing in most cases. Every year at least one car crew are rehydrated by IV on scene in a remote area

Further Study Our extreme environment lends itself to study. We plan to build on the work done by Drs Allen and White at Monash University Dept of Physiology for the Australian Institute for Motor Sport Safety at the V8 Supercars race in Adelaide in Feb We plan to assess the heat stress for closed cockpit racing drivers in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge by measuring core temperature and urine specific gravity before, during and after a racing stage. This data will be evaluated to further understand heat stress in order to recommend a standard. Equivalent numbers of open cockpit (motorcycle) competitors and non competitors will be studied as controls. Further data will be gathered from a circuit race in Abu Dhabi as a comparison.

The study will be conducted by Prof Willem Lammers at UAE University in Al Ain. I hope to report our findings by June As stated we may study some professional circuit racing drivers as a comparison.