Citation

Ballesteros Peña S, Fernández Aedo I, Vallejo de la Hoz G. Emergencias 2020; 32(5): 345-348.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, SEMES - Sociedad Española de Medicina de Urgencias y Emergencias)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

33006835

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the impact of a local football (soccer) team's matches on patient demand for hospital emergency department care in Bilbao, in the Spanish province of Biscay.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis. We retrieved the number of patients coming to the emergency department on the days and hours of matches played by Bilbao's Athletic Club during the 2017-2019 and 2018-2019 seasons and compared the caseloads with those on the same days of the weeks before and after the matches (control days).

RESULTS: Ninety-five match days were studied. Nineteen of the matches were considered key events. Visits by adults to the emergency department fell by a statistically significant 7.5% (95% CI, 4.6%-11.6%) when matches were being played in Bilbao. The decrease was 8.4% (95% CI, 5.3%-12.6%) when matches were played away. The decrease in pediatric emergencies was 32.7% (95% CI, 7.4%-68.3%) in the hours while important matches were played outside the city.

CONCLUSION: The impact of football on the number of visits to our hospital emergency department was modest, except during important away matches.

Language: es

Keywords

Emergency medical services; Fútbol; Health service needs and demand; Necesidades y demanda de servicios de salud; Servicios médicos de urgencia; Sports, football