title: An analysis of patient presentations at a 2-day mass-participation cycling event: the Ride to Conquer Cancer Case Series, 2010-2012.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the unique factors involved in providing medical support for a long-distance, cross-border, cycling event, and to describe patient presentations and event characteristics for the British Columbia (BC) Ride to Conquer Cancer from 2010 through 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a 3-year, descriptive case series report. Medical encounters were documented, prospectively, from 2010-2012 using an online registry. Data for event-related variables also were reported.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Providing medical support for participants during the 2-day ride was complicated by communication challenges, weather conditions, and cross-border issues. The total number of participants for the ride increased from 2,252 in 2010 to 2,879 in 2011, and 3,011 in 2012. Patient presentation rates (PPRs) of 125.66, 155.26, and 198.93 (per 1,000 participants) were documented from 2010 through 2012. Over the course of three years, and not included in the PPR, an additional 3,840 encounters for "self-treatment" were documented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Ride to Conquer Cancer Series has shown that medical coverage at multi-day, cross-national cycling events must be planned carefully to face a unique set of circumstances, including legislative issues, long-distance communication capabilities, and highly mobile participants. This combination of factors leads to potentially higher PPRs than have been reported for noncycling events. This study also illuminates the additional workload "self-treatment" visits place on the medical team.
authors.affiliation: 1University of British Columbia,Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,Vancouver,British Columbia,Canada.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lund
authors.affiliation: 1University of British Columbia,Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,Vancouver,British Columbia,Canada.
authors.forename: Sheila A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Turris
authors.affiliation: 2University of British Columbia, Faculty of Science,Vancouver,British Columbia,Canada.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 1University of British Columbia,Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,Vancouver,British Columbia,Canada.
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mui
authors.affiliation: 3Fraser Health Authority,Emergency Department,New Westminister,British Columbia,Canada.
authors.forename: Kerrie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: 1University of British Columbia,Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,Vancouver,British Columbia,Canada.
authors.forename: Samuel J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Gutman
mesh_terms: D001642:Bicycling; D001955:British Columbia; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008399:Mass Behavior; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors