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World Journal of Emergency Medicine ›› 2022, Vol. 13 ›› Issue (6): 459-466.doi: 10.5847/wjem.j.1920-8642.2022.106

• Original Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Medical services for sports injuries and illnesses in the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games

Peng-da Han1, Ding Gao1, Jie Liu1,2, Jing Lou1,3, Si-jia Tian1, Hui-xin Lian1, Sheng-mei Niu1, Lu-xi Zhang1, Yong Wang1(), Jin-jun Zhang1()   

  1. 1Emergence Medical Service Group for Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Beijing Emergency Medical Center, Beijing 100031, China
    2Department of General Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, China
    3Games Services Department, Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Beijing 100041, China
  • Received:2022-08-29 Accepted:2022-10-02 Online:2022-10-31 Published:2022-11-01
  • Contact: Yong Wang,Jin-jun Zhang E-mail:wangyong7096@aliyun.com;zhang92560@163.com

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games was the second Games held amid the COVID-19 pandemic. To a certain extent, it has altered the way sporting activities operate. There is a lack of knowledge on injury risk and illness occurrence in elite winter sport athletes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to describe the incidence of injuries and illnesses sustained during the XXIV Olympic Winter Games in Beijing from February 4 to 20, 2022.

METHODS: We recorded the daily number of injuries and illnesses among athletes reported by Beijing 2022 medical staff in the polyclinic, medical venues, and ambulance. We calculated injury and illness incidence as the number of injuries or illnesses occurring during competition or training, respectively, with incidence presented as injuries/illnesses per 100 athlete-days.

RESULTS: In total, 2,897 athletes from 91 nations experienced injury or illness. Beijing 2022 medical staff reported 326 injuries and 80 illnesses, equaling 11.3 injuries and 2.8 illnesses per 100 athletes over the 17-day period. Altogether, 11% of the athletes incurred at least one injury and nearly 3% incurred at least one illness. The number of injured athletes was highest in the skating sports (n=104), followed by alpine skiing (n=53), ice track (n=37), freestyle skiing (n=36), and ice hockey (n=35), and was the lowest in the Nordic skiing disciplines (n=20). Of the 326 injuries, 14 (4.3%) led to an estimated absence from training or competition of more than 1 week. A total of 52 injured athletes were transferred to hospitals for further care. The number of athletes with illness (n=80) was the highest for skating (n=33) and Nordic skiing (n=22). A total of 50 illnesses (62.5%) were admitted to the department of dentistry/ophthalmology/otolaryngology, and the most common cause of illness was other causes, including preexisting illness and medicine (n=52, 65%).

CONCLUSION: Overall, 11% of athletes incurred at least one injury during the Games, which is similar to the findings during the Olympic Winter Games in 2014 and 2018. Regarding illness, 2% of athletes were affected, which is approximately one-third of the number affected in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

Key words: Injuries, Illnesses, Olympic Winter Games, Emergency medical service