Emergency medical care in the athletes' village: World University Games 1993

Little information exists concerning special medical needs at the athletes' residence (as distinct from the sport venues) at major international sporting events. During the summer of 1993, Buffalo, New York became the first city in the United States to host the World University Games. Approximately 6,000 athletes and accompanying staff from 118 countries attended. This report seeks to characterize emergency medical care use and the degree of language difficulty encountered at the athletes' village medical center (AVMC) set up at the athletes' residence for this event.

Demographic data were collected prospectively for each athlete or staff member housed in the athletes' village who presented to AVMC for medical evaluation rather than being cared for by a team physician or at one of the venues. Difficulty in medical treatment secondary to language differences was assessed by the treating physician on a scale of 0-3.

Over the 14 days that the AVMC was in operation, for 24 hours a day, a total of 362 athletes (mean age: 22.9 +/- 2.9 years, 257 males, 105 females) and 149 accompanying staff (mean age: 39.8 +/- 11.6 years, 110 males, 39 females) were treated. More than 90% of the patients were seen between the hours of 0800 and 2400. A broad spectrum of minor medical problems occurred, with musculoskeletal injuries accounting for most of the visits for both athletes (54%) and staff (27%). Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents and oral antibiotics were the most commonly prescribed medications. On-site radiographic facilities were used for 22% of the athletes and 11% of the staff treated. The majority of patients (92% of athletes, 91% of staff) were discharged from the AVMC. Four of the 12 patients that were transferred to a hospital-based emergency department were admitted to the hospital. Language problems, as assessed by the treating physician, were mostly minor; 25% of the patients had accompanying interpreters. One volunteer physician, and two to three nurses adequately staffed each shift.

The AVMC provided medical care for a large variety of medical problems that could be treated on-site without transfer to a higher-level facility, thereby providing directed medical care for this special population in a secure environment. Language differences were perceived as a minor problem. This report should be valuable in the planning of medical care at the athletes' residences for similarly large sporting events.