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Survey of Medical Services at Major League Baseball Stadiums

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

O. John Ma ,
Ronald G. Pirrallo  and
Jonathan M. Rubin
O. John Ma*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Ronald G. Pirrallo
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Jonathan M. Rubin
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
*
Department of Emergency Medicine, Campus Box No. 7594, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7594USA
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Abstract

Objective:

To analyze the availability and level of medical services for fans at major league baseball games in the United States.

Methods:

A 10-item questionnaire was sent to the operations managers of each of 28 major league baseball stadiums. The survey was distributed in cooperation with a major league baseball club. Telephone follow-up was used to complete missing responses. The survey addressed five areas of fan medical services: 1) health-care provider availability and compensation; 2) advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) capabilities, including equipment; 3) presence of on-site ambulance(s); 4) fan fatalities; and 5) alcohol consumption limitations.

Results:

Survey response was 100%. Healthcare providers are on-site at all stadiums: nurses (86%), physicians (75%), emergency medical technicians (EMTs, [68%]), and paramedics (50%). Ninety-six percent use a combination of health-care providers. The most common medical teams are nurse + EMT + physician (25 %) and nurse + EMT + paramedic + physician (18%). All health-care providers receive some form of compensation. All stadiums have at least one ACLS-certified provider; 96% have ACLS equipment. Ambulances are on-site 75% of the time. Sixty-eight percent of the clubs reported at least one fan fatality through the 1992 and 1993 seasons (mean 1.1, range 0–4). All clubs limit alcohol consumption; 96% use multiple approaches. The various approaches include: 1) specific inning discontinuation (86%); 2) maximum purchase (68%); 3) restricted sale locations (64%); and 4) crowd conduct (57%). Advertisement for responsible alcohol consumption is displayed at 75% of the stadiums; designateddriver programs exist at 46%.

Conclusions:

All major league baseball clubs provide medical services for fans. Furthermore, almost all stadiums have ACLS capabilities. Responsible alcohol consumption also is a recognized priority for fan safety.

Keywords

advanced cardiac life supportcrowdsdisaster preparednessemergency medical servicesinjury preventionmass gatheringssportsstadiums
Type
Brief Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , December 1995 , pp. 268 - 271
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 1995

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