Mass gathering medicine: The Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games experience

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the nature and acuity of medical presentations of patrons and staff attending the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games (M2006) venues and festival live sites. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective case series chart audit of patients who were managed by St John Ambulance during the M2006. PARTICIPANTS: Patients who presented requiring first-aid review or treatment at any of the 21 designated event venues or 16 live sites during their prescribed operating hours between 15 March 2006 and 26 March 2006. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Provisional diagnosis and ambulance transport to hospital. RESULTS: A total of 3514 presentations occurred during the study period, of which 2279 (64.9%,..