X-Ray for skiers a mountain first

Ruapehu Bulletin, 22 June 1993, Page 10 (Supplement)

X-Ray for skiers a mountain first

Whakapapa Skifield is leading the way in onfield medical treatment with the arrival of a portable X-ray machine and an automatic processor shortly, being the first ski field in this

country to have such a facility. The German-made Siemens X-ray machine and auto processor are due to arrive separately - the processor expected in the country next

week, with the rest of the equipment arriving early July. The X-ray machine weighs a hefty 140kg but is surprisingly portable. The equipment is serviced by Philips Medical Systems New Zealand Limited and can be serviced on-site. If necessary, it can be disassembled for transportation. The machine plugs into an ordinary wall socket by way of an extension cord and is considered safer than the older style capacited discharge X-ray machines. Total cost is approximately $50,000 but is money well spent, according to ski field doctor, Peter Boyd-Wilson. Dr Boyd-Wilson said the X-ray machine, operated by a qualified radiographer, will accuj rately diagnose fractures, but treatment on the field will remain limited. A total of eight applications for the po-

sition of radiographer have been received, with an appointment to be made shortly for a 14 July start. The new machine will make diagnosis simple and painless: a cassette loaded with film is placed under the suspected fracture, with the X-ray tube assembly on a flexible arm positioned above. The film is then transferred to the processor for developing. If a bone is not displaced it is set in plaster by the skifield medical staff. Displaced bones that require treatment under general anaesthetic are immobilised by the mountain medical team, with the patient then referred to hospital for further treatment. Skiers can expect to pay for the privilege of on-mountain X-rays but will receive for free, the same high standard of care for other treatment as in previous years. The estimated charge is

$25 for an X-ray, plus $13 consultation fee. Dr Boyd-Wilson stressed however, that money - or lack of it - wouldn't interfere with urgent medical treatment if the situation arose. "Safety would always come first", he said. Dr Boyd-Wilson said of the approximate 1,200 accidental injuries that occurred on

the slopes last season, around 160 were diagnosed fractures or dislocations. "Skiing is a relatively safe sport, if you compare it with rugby or rugby league", he said. The most common skifield injury according to Dr Boyd Wilson, is knee sprain. The second most common - referred

to as 'Skier's Thumb' - results from a fall on an outstretched arm, when thumb ligaments are torn. Dr Boyd-Wilson and his wife operate a smallscale surgery and consultation service in the township of National Park, which is without the services of a fulltime G.P.