Sports injury pattern and treatment model at the Danish National Games in Odense in 1985
Hansen, M.K.; Jensen, E.K.
Ugeskrift for Laeger 149(6): 406-409
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-5782 PMID: 3824629 Document Number: 292392
A material is presented of the pattern of injuries, treatment model and the extra work-load for the local hospital during the hitherto largest Dansih National Games with 28,789 participants. The games lasted for three days and 11 types of sports were represented. A total of 599 injuries were registered (2.1% of the number of participants). Of these 390 (65.1%) were sports injuries and 209 (34.9%) were unconnected with sport. 84.8% of the injuries treated in the sports grounds (by first-aid workers and an emergency casualty department) could be treated completely there while 12.7% were referred to the local hospital and 2.5% to their general practitioners or hospitals near their homes. A total of six persons were admitted to hospital. 46.0% of the patients who contacted the casualty of department of the local hospital had not been seen primarily by doctors or first-aid workers. The commonest injuries were bruises or wounds (54.1%), sprained ankles (18.7%) and lesions of tendons and ligaments (7.1%). Injuries to the lower limbs comprised 75.2% while injuries to the upper limbs comprised 18.8%. The total number of injuries for the games was found to be 2.1% while injuries due to sports alone constituted 1.3%. It is concluded that the therapeutic model including an emergency casualty department and referral via first-aid workers, functioned satisfactorily. It is estimated that, by providing the participants with better information about the therapeutic possibilities at the sports grounds, it should be possible to reduce the work load in the local hospital by 20-30%.