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

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.

To determine the impact of national and local events on ED attendance.

Observational retrospective cohort study.

From 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2019, all admissions at two French ED (Metz and Thionville) were screened.

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).

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.

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.