An extreme sports event in Britain, which has been designed by the British Special Forces to test physical and mental strength, has resulted in injuries ranging from multiple electrical burns to seizure-induced Todd's paralysis, according to a study.
The event, named the Tough Mudder, is a 10 to 12 mile endurance obstacle course known as 'MOB (mud, obstacles, beer) runs'.
According to the study by Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network researchers, organisers, participants and local emergency services need to be prepared for a large number of diverse injuries at Tough Mudder and other similar obstacle races given that in the past few years, obstacle racing has experienced a rate of growth that may be unprecedented in the history of participatory sports.
Lead study author Dr. Marna Rayl Greenberg, who reported in depth on five patients injured at a 2-day event and were being treated at a local emergency department, said that no training on earth can adequately prepare participants for elements such as jumping from a nine-foot height or running through a field of electrical wires while wet and hot.
Greenberg also said that the volume and severity of injuries in the Tough Mudder race was unusually high, possibly leading to some permanent disabilities, adding that the 1.5 million people who are predicted to enter obstacle races like this in the next year should be well aware of the risks they are taking.
One patient, who had received 13 electrical shocks during the last obstacle in the Tough Mudder, had multiple burn marks from electrical injuries and inflammation of the heart muscle, while another had sustained multiple electrical shocks to the head while running through water, which resulted in fainting and altered mental status.
The third patient, after completing 20 out of 22 obstacles, developed seizure-like activity and altered mental status, following which he was admitted to the intensive care unit with Todd's paralysis and discharged from the hospital to a rehabilitation center 4 days later.
