Published on July 22, 2010
Genesis Staff Gears Up For Another Quad-City Times Bix 7
The first year Mary Clarke volunteered to work at the medical facility for the Quad-City Times Bix 7, the facility consisted of a tank filled with water."They could get in and cool down. That was 1979. There were only about 80 runners in the entire race. I don't know that we actually treated anyone. Now we may treat 200 or more people some years,'' said Clarke, PhD., nurse and manager of the medical facility at the race again this Saturday morning on the streets of Davenport.
In 1979, the medical team was organized by Mercy Hospital. When Mercy and St. Luke's merged, Genesis Health System took over the volunteer effort.
Many families, including Clarke's, return year after year to help out. Clinical professionals bring their wives, children, brothers, sisters, parents and in-laws to help out. Working the Bix medical tent has become a family tradition for many.
Non-clinical volunteers also return year after year to fill a volunteer list of nearly 200. There are now second-generation volunteers in the medical tent.
The care provided by the team can be intense. And it can save lives. On nearly every race day there is a period of one hour to two hours when the 60 available cots in the tent fill up quickly with overheated runners and walkers. The volunteers also routinely see cuts, scrapes and blisters.
It isn't uncommon for confused runners to be carried into the tent with body temperatures of 103 degrees or higher.
"It's not just the heat though. We see a lot of bad blisters. One year a guy came to us who had run the race in new shoes, what I would call deck shoes, and no socks,'' Clarke recalled. "His feet were bloody from the blisters."
But the greatest concern is weather. Even on a cooler day, volunteers are usually busy for at least a brief period. On a hot, humid day, the tent can take on the appearance of a field hospital during a disaster.
"We start watching the weather forecast very closely because we know what can happen if there is a lot of heat and humidity,'' Clarke said. "If you haven't experienced the tent before, it can look chaotic at times, but it is highly organized chaos.
"It's highly coordinated between the volunteers in the tent, the EMTs, the hospitals, the City of Davenport, MEDIC EMS and everyone else who participates."
Two years are memorable for long-time volunteers.
In 2006, the temperature was 82 degrees at race time. About 140 overheated runners and walkers were treated in the tent and an unusually high number, 25, were transported to hospitals. Six people were admitted to the hospital.
In 1997, a total of 220 runners and walkers were treated in the tent. A total of 48 patients were transported to the hospital and 11 spent at least one night in the hospital.
Three key changes have reduced the traffic to the tent in recent years.
One change was the race's addition of the 2-mile Quick Bix in 1999. If seven miles seems too long, participants are encouraged to try the Quick Bix. The shorter course can reduce the toll of heat on the body.
Second, the electronic timing chips being used have reduced congestion in the finishing chutes.
Third, MEDIC EMS now takes race participants straight to the hospital if they have trouble on the course rather than taking them to the medical tent first.
"All of those changes have helped reduce the number of people we see in the medical tent,'' Clarke said.
It still takes a small army of volunteers and materials to prepare the medical tent for a surge of patients.
On Saturday, there will be six teams of care givers available. Each team will have at least two doctors and a team leader who is a nurse, plus additional nurses, respiratory therapists, certified nurse assistants and non-clinical volunteers working to cool down patients.
Supplies on Mary Clarke's pre-race checklist include a 40- foot by 60-foot tent, 60 cots from the American Red Cross, 75 20-pound bags of ice, porta-potties, a nebulizer, hundreds of bottles of water, and all of the IV bags, wraps, thermometers and medical equipment needed to treat a surge of patients in a short time.
Clarke said Bix participants can do their part to stay out of the medical tent on race day by hydrating before, during and after the race, knowing the warning signs of heat-related illness and listening to their body. If you aren't feeling well, slow down, or walk, or walk off the course to rest for a minute or two.
Here are the signs of heat-related illness:
Symptoms of heat exhaustion include cool, moist, pale, or flushed skin; heavy sweating; headache; nausea or vomiting; dizziness; and exhaustion. Body temperature may be normal, or is likely to be rising.
Symptoms of heat stroke include hot, red skin; changes in consciousness; rapid, weak pulse; and rapid, shallow breathing. Body temperature can be as high as 105 degrees F. If the person was sweating from heavy work or exercise, skin may be wet; otherwise, it will feel dry.
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