Emergency department visits from a local amusement park.
BACKGROUND
There are limited published data examining Emergency Department (ED) presentations associated with amusement parks, and even fewer data on presentations not associated with roller coaster rides.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the spectrum of medical and traumatic presentations to two EDs from nearby amusement parks.


METHODS
A retrospective chart review of prospectively identified, enrolled, and surveyed patients was conducted at two EDs in Pennsylvania during the summer of 2006. Any patient presenting with a medical or traumatic complaint that occurred within 12 h of ED presentation and was associated with a visit to the local amusement park was prospectively identified and details of the visit were retrospectively reviewed.


RESULTS
There were a total of 325 discharge diagnoses for the 296 ED visits identified; 74% of discharge diagnoses were trauma related. The most common traumatic diagnoses were laceration (27%) and head injury or concussion (14%). The most common non-traumatic diagnosis was heat-related illness (24%). Twenty-nine percent of discharge diagnoses were directly associated with amusement park rides. Eighty-nine percent of patients were discharged home. There were no mortalities reported.


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of ED visits from nearby amusement parks were benign and did not require hospitalization.
Olympia
Robert P
RP
Department of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA.
Brady
Jodi
J
Rupp
Valerie
V
Lansenderfer
Cheryl
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010414:Pennsylvania / Q000453:epidemiology; D011998:Recreation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult