The incidence of sickness/trauma in spectators of professional baseball at the Meiji Jingu Baseball Stadium.
The Meiji Jingu Baseball Stadium attracts a large number of spectators in the Tokyo metropolitan area. To clarify the demand for medical care at a public ballpark, we analyzed following two types of medical records maintained at the stadium: (1) "Report of Aid": a record of patients visiting the first-aid station in 2003 season and (2) "Report of Accidents": a record of patients referred to clinics/hospitals between 1996 and 2003 season. (1) In 2003, approximately 1,582,000 spectators watched 67 professional baseball games (60 night games). Of the 247 spectators received medical care at the first-aid station (3.7 persons per game, 1/6,405 spectators), 128 (51.8%) had trauma and 109 (44.1%) had illness. The incidence of trauma was relatively higher before the start and near the end of the night games. The risk of becoming sick/wounded per spectator or the number of the sick/wounded per game differed depending on the participating sports teams. (2) Ninety-three spectators referred to clinics/hospitals during the 8-year period from 1996 to 2003, of which 57 were transferred by ambulance. Direct ball injury accounted for 65 (69.9%) cases of trauma, followed by stumbling/falls (18 cases, 19.4%). Twenty patients were diagnosed to have fractures at the clinics/hospitals. Intrinsic cardiopulmonary arrest occurred in one spectator. Trauma due to direct ball injury accounted for the largest number of wounded patients referred to clinics/hospitals. Treatment to patients at the first-aid station in the stadium may optimize the frequency of hospital visits. Records of medical care are effective to analyze the demand for medical preparedness.
Ishikawa
Hideki
H
Department of Emergency & Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Keio University, Shinju-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582 Japan. hideki@ishikawa.email.ne.jp
Hori
Shingo
S
Aikawa
Naoki
N
D001484:Baseball; D003624:Darkness; D004194:Disease; D005260:Female; D005392:First Aid / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors; D014041:Tokyo; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*