Treatment Of Ski-ing Injuries Causes Concern

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30588, 3 November 1964, Page 9

Treatment Of Ski-ing Injuries Causes Concern

Canterbury ski club officials are concerned at the apparent lack of knowledge regarding medical treatment of skiing injuries.

Discussion at the Canterbury Ski Association’s annual conference on Saturday indicated an extremely wide variety of methods of bringing an injured skier out of

the mountains and it was recommended to the executive that a special sub-com-mittee be set up to investigate the situation and produce a booklet on the treatment of ski-ing injuries. Mr R. Copp reported that the Ski Patrol Association of America had completed a comprehensive book on the subject and it was agreed that he should obtain a copy for reference. The ski-patrol had gone into all types of rescue sledges. Hospitals Appalled All clubs should know the best way to treat a break in the mountains and the best way to get a patient down. “Do we plaster it; if so, how much?” inquired Mr N. J. Blair (North Canterbury). Sometimes the hospitals were pleased with the way injured skiers arrived and other times they were appalled, commented the secretary (Mr C. R. Halstead). Occasionally there were bits of bone sticking out in all directions. There was also a completely new method of treating frostbite which could be investigated. Frostbite was not common among skiers but the treatment should be known in case there was ever a need for it, Mr Halstead said. There had been six breaks at Amuri last season, said Mr

H. T. Grigg. Shock was something which had to be considered and that was particularly applicable to children. There should not be any delay in getting an injured person to hospital. “That is where medical people dither around, waiting for morphia, etc.,” he said. The orthopaedic department of the public hospital should be able to comment on the way they had been sending patients down, he said. Safety Bindings Prevention was better than treatment, said Mr Copp. Safety bindings were often incorrectly adjusted or nonexistent. He asked if it was possible to demand that all hire skis be supplemented with safety bindings. Most firms were hiring out better skis but many still had no forward release, sideways release or a safety strap, he said. They were getting on to a ticklish problem, said the president (Mr A. R. Robinson). The ski association could only recommend that anybody hiring equipment contact a senior club member for advice first. It would be overstepping their authority to approach firms, he said. It was more often a case of poorly adjusted safety bindings, said Mr J. R. Chaffey. “When I broke my leg I came out of both bindings,” replied Mr M. Wynn-Williams.