Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-m8qmq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T07:33:00.216Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Survey of Medical Services at Major League Baseball Stadiums

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

O. John Ma ,
Ronald G. Pirrallo  and
Jonathan M. Rubin
O. John Ma*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Ronald G. Pirrallo
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Jonathan M. Rubin
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
*
Department of Emergency Medicine, Campus Box No. 7594, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7594USA
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective:

To analyze the availability and level of medical services for fans at major league baseball games in the United States.

Methods:

A 10-item questionnaire was sent to the operations managers of each of 28 major league baseball stadiums. The survey was distributed in cooperation with a major league baseball club. Telephone follow-up was used to complete missing responses. The survey addressed five areas of fan medical services: 1) health-care provider availability and compensation; 2) advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) capabilities, including equipment; 3) presence of on-site ambulance(s); 4) fan fatalities; and 5) alcohol consumption limitations.

Results:

Survey response was 100%. Healthcare providers are on-site at all stadiums: nurses (86%), physicians (75%), emergency medical technicians (EMTs, [68%]), and paramedics (50%). Ninety-six percent use a combination of health-care providers. The most common medical teams are nurse + EMT + physician (25 %) and nurse + EMT + paramedic + physician (18%). All health-care providers receive some form of compensation. All stadiums have at least one ACLS-certified provider; 96% have ACLS equipment. Ambulances are on-site 75% of the time. Sixty-eight percent of the clubs reported at least one fan fatality through the 1992 and 1993 seasons (mean 1.1, range 0–4). All clubs limit alcohol consumption; 96% use multiple approaches. The various approaches include: 1) specific inning discontinuation (86%); 2) maximum purchase (68%); 3) restricted sale locations (64%); and 4) crowd conduct (57%). Advertisement for responsible alcohol consumption is displayed at 75% of the stadiums; designateddriver programs exist at 46%.

Conclusions:

All major league baseball clubs provide medical services for fans. Furthermore, almost all stadiums have ACLS capabilities. Responsible alcohol consumption also is a recognized priority for fan safety.

Keywords

advanced cardiac life supportcrowdsdisaster preparednessemergency medical servicesinjury preventionmass gatheringssportsstadiums
Type
Brief Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , December 1995 , pp. 268 - 271
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Carveth, SW: Eight-year experience with a stadium-based mobile coronary care unit. Heart Lung 1974;3:770–774.Google ScholarPubMed
2. Pons, PT, Holland, B, Alfrey, E, et al. : An advanced emergency medical care system at National League football games. Ann Emerg Med 1980;9:203–206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3. Vacalis, TD, Blewett, J: An advanced emergency medical care system at the University of Texas football stadium. J Am Coll Health 1981;30:145–147.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4. Neft, D, Cohen, R, eds: The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1994Google Scholar
5. Sanders, A, Criss, E, Steckl, P, et al. : An analysis of medical care at mass gatherings. Ann Emerg Med 1986;15:515–519.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6. Hunt, RC, Brown, LH, Cabinum, ES, et al. : Is ambulance transport time with lights and siren faster than without? Ann Emerg Med 1995;25:507.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7. Chapman, KR, Charmichael, FJ, Goode, JE: Medical services for outdoor rock music festivals. Can Med Assoc J 1982;126:935–938.Google ScholarPubMed
8. Streat, S, McCallum, JA, Boswell, R, et al. : Medical services at a music festival. NZ Med J 1975;76–80.Google Scholar
9. Osler, DC, Shapiro, F, Shapiro, S: Medical services at outdoor music festivals. Clin Pediatr 1975;14:390–395.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10. Levens, LK, Durham, JE: Pop music festivals: Some medical aspects. BMJ 1971;1:218–220.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11. Burns, RS, Lerner, SE, Sexton, PA: Emergency medicine at Diamond Head Crater Festival. Hawaii Med J 1974;33:331–335.Google ScholarPubMed
12. Schlicht, J, Mitcheson, M, Henry, M: Medical aspects of large out door festivals. Lancet 1972;1:948–952.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13. Baker, WM, Simone, BM, et al. : Special event medical care: The 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Ann Emerg Med 1985;15:185–190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14. Eadie, JL: 1980 Winter Olympics, Lake Placid, N. Y. J Environ Health 1981;43:178–187.Google Scholar
15. Martinez, R: Super Bowl safety. Emergency Medical Services 1992;21:14–15.Google ScholarPubMed
16. Gay, JH: Papal crowds: Medical challenge. Journal of the Iowa Medical Society 1979;69:425–530.Google ScholarPubMed
17. Kulp, RC: Preparing prehospital medical coverage for a Papal visit. Emergency Health Services Quarterly 1980;1:111–129.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18. Herrick, J: The anatomy of a medical service center. Facility Manager 1994;10:20–26.Google Scholar