Work

Impact of sporting, cultural and social events on emergency admissions: a retrospective multicenter study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Overcrowding in emergency departments (ED) is a worldwide problem and a major public health issue. Factors influencing fluctuations in admissions, such as weather conditions or road traffic, have been identified. OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of national and local events on ED attendance. DESIGN: Observational retrospective cohort study. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: From 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2019, all admissions at two French ED (Metz and Thionville) were screened. OUTCOME MEASURES AND ANALYSIS: The primary outcome was the number of daily admissions at the ED. A logistic regression tested the association between daily admissions and the occurrence of a special event (sporting, cultural or social event). MAIN RESULTS: A total of 998 event days were recorded, accounting for 27.3% of the study period. Excluding event days, as well as the day before and the day after an event, the median daily number of admissions was 181 (SD ± 36.37) in Metz and 165 (SD ± 24.29) in Thionville. During event days, the median number of admissions in Metz increased to 195 (SD ± 40.57; OR 1.25; 95% CI: [1.10-1.41]; p < 0.001). The day following an event, the median number of admissions remained elevated at 193 (SD ± 34.14; OR 1.31; 95% CI: [1.13-1.53]; p < 0.001). In Thionville, the median number of admissions was 167 (SD ± 25.83; OR 1.04; 95% CI: [0.92-1.18]; p > 0.001) on event days and 170 (SD ± 24.61; OR 1.29; 95% CI: [1.11-1.51]; p < 0.001) on the following day. Football events had a notable impact on hospital admissions. In Metz, the median daily number of admissions increased to 198 (SD ± 41.09; OR 1.39; 95% CI: [1.14-1.70]; p < 0.001) on the event day and 196 (SD ± 39.57; OR 1.38; 95% CI: [1.11-1.71]; p = 0.004) the following day. In Thionville, the median daily number of admissions the day after a football event was 172 (SD ± 25.54; OR 1.43; 95% CI: [1.15-1.78]; p = 0.001). Social movements also significantly affected admissions in Metz, with the median daily number reaching 200.5 (SD ± 45.62; OR 1.43; 95% CI: [1.11-1.86]; p = 0.007) on the event day and 199 (SD ± 41.12; OR 1.63; 95% CI: [1.16-2.31]; p = 0.005) the following day. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of sporting, cultural or social events is associated with an increase in ED visits on the same day and the following day. These events contribute to a surge in activity in ED, potentially leading to overcrowding.

Source: BMC Emergency Medicine

DOI: 10.1186/s12873-025-01370-1