title: Medical Care Before and During the Winter Paralympic Games in Turin 2006, Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014.
abstract: Medical care in disabled sports is crucial both as prophylaxis and as ongoing medical intervention. The aim of this paper was to present changes in the quality of medical care over the consecutive Paralympic Games (PG). The study encompassed 31 paralympians: Turin (11), Vancouver (12), and Sochi (8) competing in cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, biathlon and snowboarding. The first, questionnaire-based, part of the study was conducted in Poland before the PG. The athletes assessed the quality of care provided by physicians, physiologists, dieticians, and physiotherapists, as well as their cooperation with the massage therapist and the psychologist. The other part of the study concerned the athletes' health before leaving for the PG, as well as their diseases and injuries during the PG. The quality of medical care was poor before the 2006 PG, but satisfactory before the subsequent PG. Only few athletes made use of psychological support, assessing it as poor before the 2006 PG and satisfactory before the 2010 and 2014 PG. The athletes' health condition was good during all PG. The health status of cross-country skiers was confirmed by a medical fitness certificate before all PG, while that of alpine skiers only before the 2014 PG. There were no serious diseases; training injuries precluded two athletes from participation. The quality of medical care before the PG was poor, however, became satisfactory during the actual PG. The resulting ad hoc pattern deviates from the accepted standards in medical care in disabled sports.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Gerontology, Medical College, Jagiellonian University, Krakow.
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gawroński
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Motor Rehabilitation, University School of Physical Education, Krakow.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sobiecka
keywords: disabled sports; diseases; injuries; paralympic sports; quality of care
references.citation: Br J Sports Med. 1994 Mar;28(1):14-7
references.pmid: 8044485
references.citation: Br J Sports Med. 2009 Sep;43(9):631-43
references.pmid: 19734496
references.citation: Eur Heart J. 2005 Mar;26(5):516-24
references.pmid: 15689345
references.citation: Clin J Sport Med. 2004 May;14(3):107-8
references.pmid: 15166897
references.citation: Scand J Rehabil Med. 1991;23(2):51-9
references.pmid: 1832786
references.citation: Br J Sports Med. 2013 Sep;47(13):844-9
references.pmid: 23902777
references.citation: Am J Sports Med. 1992 Jan-Feb;20(1):55-60
references.pmid: 1532480
references.citation: Br J Sports Med. 2013 May;47(7):433-40
references.pmid: 23525473