There is significant public health interest towards providing medical care at mass-gathering events. Furthermore, mass gatherings have the potential to have a detrimental impact on the availability of already-limited municipal Emergency Medical Services (EMS) resources. This study presents a cross-sectional descriptive analysis to report broad trends regarding patients who were transported from National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 collegiate football games at a major public university in order to better inform emergency preparedness and resource planning for mass gatherings.

Patient care reports (PCRs) from ambulance transports originating from varsity collegiate football games at the University of Minnesota across six years were examined. Pertinent information was abstracted from each PCR.

Across the six years of data, there were a total of 73 patient transports originating from NCAA collegiate football games: 45.2% (n = 33) were male, and the median age was 22 years. Alcohol-related chief complaints were involved in 50.7% (n = 37) of transports. In total, 31.5% of patients had an initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of less than 15. The majority (65.8%; n = 48; 0.11 per 10,000 attendees) were transported by Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances. The remaining patients (34.2%; n = 25; 0.06 per 10,000 attendees) were transported by Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances and were more likely to be older, have abnormal vital signs, and have a lower GCS.

This analysis of ambulance transports from NCAA Division 1 collegiate football games emphasizes the prevalence of alcohol-related chief complaints, but also underscores the likelihood of more life-threatening conditions at mass gatherings. These results and additional research will help inform emergency preparedness at mass-gathering events.

Several factors are important for the number and severity of medical emergencies during mass-gatherings. The risk of violence, the size and mobility of the crowd, the type of event, weather, and duration of the event all influence the outcome. During the European Union (EU) Summit, from 15–16 June 2001 in Gothenburg, Sweden, approximately 50,000 people participated in 43 protest marches, some which included 15,000 participants. Clashes between police and the protesters occurred.

The objective of this study was to analyze the amount and character of injuries as well as the medical complaints in relation to the EU Summit. In addition, the aim of this study was to describe the organization and function of the healthcare services provided during the meeting.

This study is based on the medical records of patients presenting with injuries and other types of medical emergencies at the healthcare stations during the Summit.

In total, 143 patients sought medical care. Fifty-three (37.1%) were police officers. Most patients had minor complaints, but a few were seriously injured.The Patient Presentation Rate (PPR) was 2.7. Nine victims were hospitalized as high priority.

The PPR for the EU Summit was 2.7, which is in the same range as previously reported from other mass-gatherings.