[Emergency service utilization and athletic injuries--data collection from the Fulda district]

Throughout the period of one year all sports accidents, which implied the need of medical services (n = 59), in the district of Fulda with 195,000 inhabitants were analysed. The bulk of the accidents took place during soccer matches (37.3%). The share of women was 25.4%. A repeated trauma was registered in 69.5% of the cases. 16% of the casualties received outpatient treatment. The ambulance was already at the site of the accident in 35.6% of the cases. The greater part of the accidents happened in the afternoon (57.6%). The accident was caused due to another athlete in 44.1% of the accidents. An ambulance with a doctor on board was needed four times, because the injury demanded treatment by an internist. The principle measure of first aid, taken by the ambulance men, was the positioning of the injured limb on a splint (n = 44). The incidence of sports accidents with need for medical service is 30/100,000 inhabitants. The part of sports accidents in relation to all ambulance actions is 2.3% (internal medicine only 0.18% and surgery only 15.3%). The percentage of sports accidents demanding a doctor in relation to all rescues with the need for a doctor is 0.3%.