Medical tents, doctors, nurses keep busy during hot Bix

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By Christina McNamara | Monday, July 31, 2006 | 2 comment(s)

The second-hottest Bix on record left many runners and walkers disoriented, stumbling, pale and vomiting as they approached the finish line Saturday.

A total of 126 runners and walkers were spotted by sharp-eyed nurses and volunteers and escorted into the Bix medical tent — that’s the most since 1997, the sultriest Bix recorded. An additional 40 people were treated in a tent staffed by Palmer Chiropractic Clinic.

About 200 Genesis Medical Center nurses, doctors and other volunteers helped support weary runners to cots under a shady tent. Sixty cots were set up, and many were occupied as the runners came in.

Rhythm City Casino Jackpot runner David Ramp, who finished first after being granted a 2.7-mile head start over the elite runners, was one of the first patients in the medical tent. Ramp, 40, of Hampton, Ill., said he was exhausted after the grueling run in the heat.

“I’ve trained in heat hotter than this, but I wasn’t pushing myself as hard as I was today. My skin looked pretty pale. They gave me IV fluids and water, and took my pulse and blood pressure. I didn’t expect to go in there, but it was comforting that so many people were helping me,” he said.

Shortly after Ramp, Kenyan Sammy Rongo, who finished the Bix in eighth place, entered the tent for help — a career first for the elite runner.

The 79-degree race start time with 85 percent humidity was a concern.

Craig Cooper, media relations coordinator for Genesis Medical Center, said the hospital declared a disaster alert, calling in available staff and redirecting others to handle an expected patient surge. He said calling a disaster alert is not unusual for the hot Bix day.

A total of 25 people were transported to area hospitals.

Jamie Temple, quality and education manager for Medic EMS, said his staff ran a constant “course red” for 11/2 hours.

“That’s a long time. That’s when we run people to the hospital with lights and sirens on and come back to the course with lights and sirens on to pick up somebody else,” said Temple, who has been working the Bix for 15 years.

The majority of patients were able to recover from their heat-related illnesses in the tent. Nurses typically get a rectal temperature on patients first.

“Temps on the skin aren’t accurate. When someone is overheated, the skin gets cool to the touch,” said Karen LeMaster, who has coordinated the medical tent since 1993.

Nurses follow up by wringing cold water from towels and placing ice packs on the patients, squirting them with water bottles, and giving them cold water to drink. Blood pressure and pulse is also taken.

“In a race this short, they don’t usually lose a whole lot of fluid. If they don’t recover within a liter or two, it’s a dehydration issue, and we transport them,” LeMaster said.

Dr. Stephen Sorenson, a family practice physician, said most runners who came in the tent were treated for dehydration.

“They had fast heart rates and temperatures up to 108. We gave most of them IV fluids, which is a little unusual. We actually ran out of IV fluids and catheters, and had to get more,” he said.

The consensus of most runners was that this Bix was their hottest.

“I was hoping to run it in 38 minutes, but with the heat, I lost composure,” said 44-year-old Russell Boore of Hampton, Ill., who was treated in the medical tent after finishing the race in 39 minutes.

“It was the hottest I’ve ever felt out there. Toward the end, I was blacking out a little bit,” said Carmin Green, 21, of Rock Island, who cooled off with the help of nurses.

Kathryn Cater, 35, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, went to the medical tent for a foot problem but ended up with ice and a quick checkup, too.

“Thank God for the sprinklers and the water people. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have finished. It was like an oven,” she said.

Spectators and volunteers also suffered from the intense heat.

Murrell Jack, 49, was a volunteer at the chutes.

“I was getting too hot, especially on the cement. I felt like I was going to pass out. I tried to work as long as I could but I couldn’t hang on any longer,” she said.

While the sights of runners vomiting and shaking was quite startling for the average onlooker, it could’ve been much worse.

“Not too bad. I think people were careful,” LeMaster said.

The city desk can be contacted at (563) 383-2245 or newsroom@qctimes.com.