World Youth Day 2008: did it stress Sydney hospitals?
OBJECTIVE
To characterise the nature and impact of World Youth Day (WYD) 2008 on emergency department (ED) presentations at key hospitals.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis of WYD pilgrims presenting to the EDs of St Vincent's Hospital and Sydney Hospital, 9-23 July 2008.


METHODS
Frequency of pilgrim ED presentations; presenting complaint, Australasian Triage Scale category, diagnosis, admission to hospital and demographic characteristics.


RESULTS
191 pilgrims presented at the two EDs during the study period, comprising 7.8% of all visits to these EDs. Pilgrims had a median age of 22 years, and most were international visitors. The female-to-male ratio was 1.7 : 1. The most common diagnoses were lower limb strain or sprain, infections, and acute asthma. Pilgrims presented with less severe illnesses (with lower triage scores), and were less likely to be admitted to hospital than other patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The pilgrim caseload was small, and these presentations were less acute and less likely to result in admission than non-pilgrim presentations. Thus, the overall impact on the hospitals was very small.
Smith
Myles W H
MW
St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Fulde
Gordian W O
GW
Hendry
Patricia M
PM
D000328:Adult; D000846:Anniversaries and Special Events; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000453:epidemiology; D014218:Triage; D055815:Young Adult