Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-t5pn6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T19:01:05.462Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Medical Care for a Mass Gathering: The Suwa Onbashira Festival

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Kazuyuki Yazawa ,
Yukihiro Kamijo ,
Ryuichi Sakai ,
Masahiko Ohashi  and
Mafumi Owa
Kazuyuki Yazawa*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Suwa Red Cross Hospital, Suwa City, Nagano, Japan
Yukihiro Kamijo
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Suwa Red Cross Hospital, Suwa City, Nagano, Japan
Ryuichi Sakai
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Suwa Red Cross Hospital, Suwa City, Nagano, Japan
Masahiko Ohashi
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Suwa Red Cross Hospital, Suwa City, Nagano, Japan
Mafumi Owa
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Suwa Red Cross Hospital, Suwa City, Nagano, Japan
*
Kazuyuki Yazawa, MD Department of Emergency Medicine, Suwa Red Cross Hospital, 5-11-50, Kogan-dori, Suwa City, Nagano, Japan E-mail: kazutora511@aol.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Introduction:

The Suwa Onbashira Festival is held every six years and draws approximately one million spectators from across Japan. Men ride the Onbashira pillars (logs) down steep slopes.At each festival, several people are crushed under the heavy log. During the 2004 festival, for the first time, a medical care system that coordinated a medical team, an emergency medical service, related agencies, and local hospitals was constructed.

Objective:

The aims of this study were to characterize the spectrum of injuries and illness and to evaluate the medical care system of this festival.

Methods:

The festival was held 02 April–10 May 2004. The medical records of all of the patients who presented to an on-site medical tent or who were treated at the scene and transported to hospitals over a 12-day period were reviewed.The following items were evaluated: (1) the emergency medical system at the festival; (2) the environmental circumstances; and (3) patient data.

Results:

All medical usage rates are reported as patients per 10,000 attendees (PPTT). A total 1.8 million spectators attended the festival during the 12-day study period; a total of 237 patients presented to the medical tent (1.32 PPTT), and 63 (27%) were transferred to hospitals (0.35 PPTT). Of the total, 135 (57%) suffered from trauma—two were severely injured with pelvic and cervical spine fractures; and 102 (43%) had medical problems including heat-related illness.

Conclusions:

Comprehensive medical care is essential for similar mass gatherings. The appropriate triage of patients can lead to efficient medical coverage.

Keywords

Japanmass gatheringsmedical careSuwa Onbashira Festival
Type
Special Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 22 , Issue 5 , October 2007 , pp. 431 - 435
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Japan Atlas: Festivals; Onbashira Festival. Available at http://webjpn. org/atlas/festivals/fes12.html. Accessed 04 November 2004.Google Scholar
2.Jack, S: Suwa's Onbashira Festival. Available at http://r20.root.or.jp/onsuwa/ onbasira/english/Esetumei.html. Accessed 04 November 2004.Google Scholar
3.Morimura, N, Katsumi, A, Koido, Y, et al. : Analysis of patient load data from the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan. Prehospital Disast Med 2004;19(3):278–284.Google Scholar
4.Boyle, MF, De Lorenzo, RA, Garnison, R: Physician integration into mass gathering medical care. Prehospital Disast Med 1993;8:165–168.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Feldman, MJ, Lukins, JL, Verbeek, RP, et al. : Half-a-million strong: The emergency medical services response to a single-day, mass-gathering event. Prehospital Disast Med 2004;19(4):287–296.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Thomas, DR, Amos, WL: Medical services provided at the 1982 Southern Open golf tournament. Am J Sports Med 1984;12:155–158.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Vukmir, RB, Paris, PM: The Three Rivers Regatta accident: An EMS perspective. Am J Emerg Med 1991;9:64–71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Edwards, M: Airshow disaster plans. Aviat Space Environ Med 1991;62:1192–1195.Google Scholar
9.Bock, HC, Cordell, WH, Hawk, AC, Bowdish, GE: Demographics of emergency medical care at the Indianapolis 500 mile race (1983–1990). Ann Emerg Med 1992;21:1204–1207.Google Scholar
10.Granze, JT, Baumann, GW: The California 500: Medical care at a NASCAR Winston Cup race. Prehosp Emerg Care 2002;6:315–318.Google Scholar
11.Granze, JT, Baumann, GW, Vaezazizi, R: On-site physicians reduce ambulance transports at mass gatherings. Prehosp Emerg Care 2003;7:322–326.Google Scholar
12.Brunko, F: Emergency physician and special events. Am J Emerg Med 1989;7:405–406. (Editorial).Google Scholar
13Milsten, AM, Maguire, BJ, Bissell, RA, et al. : Mass-gathering medical care: A review of the literature. Prehospital Disast Med 2002;17(3):151–162.Google Scholar
14.Zeitz, KM, Schneider, DP, Jarrett, D, Zeitz, CJ: Mass gathering events: Retrospective analysis of patient presentations over seven years. Prehospital Disast Med 2002;17(3):147–150.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Bowdish, GE, Cordell, WH, Bock, HC, et al. : Using regression analysis to predict emergency patient volume at the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. Ann Emerg Med 1992;21:1200–1203.Google Scholar
16.Gannon, DM, Derse, AR, Bronkema, PJ: The emergency care network of a ski marathon. Am J Sports Med 1985;13:316–320.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Milsten, AM, Seaman, KG, Liu, P, et al. : Variables influencing medical usage rates, injury patterns, and levels of care for mass gatherings. Prehospital Disast Med 2003;18(4):334–346.Google Scholar
18.De Lorenzo, RA. Mass gathering medicine: A review. Prehospital Disast Med 1997;12(1):68–72.Google Scholar
19.Varon, J, Fromm, RE, Chanin, K, et al. : Critical illness at mass gathering is uncommon. J Emerg Med 2003;25:409–413.Google Scholar
20.Leonard, RB: Medical support for mass gatherings. Emerg Med Clin North Am 1996;14:383–397.Google Scholar
21.Weaver, WD, Sutherland, K, Wirkus, MJ, et al. : Emergency medical care requirements for large public assemblies and a new strategy for managing cardiac arrest in this setting. Ann Emerg Med 1989;18:155–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22.Cohen, DL, Montalvo, MA, Turnbull, GP: Medical support for a major military air show: The RAF Mildenhall medical emergency support plan. J Trauma 1994;36:237–244.CrossRefGoogle Scholar