Care of Children at a Large Outdoor Music Festival in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Introduction:Limited data exist on the standard of care provided for children at mass gatherings and special events (MGSE). Some studies provide valuable insight into the proportion of pediatric patients that can be expected at various types of MGSEs, but an accurate breakdown of the range of pediatric conditions treated at major events has yet to be produced. Such data are essential for the preparation of MGSEs so that the health and safety of children at such events can be adequately safeguarded. The aim of this study is to examine the care requirements for children at a large, outdoor music festival in the United Kingdom.Methods:A retrospective review of all patient report forms (PRFs) from a large, outdoor music festival held in Leeds (UK) in 2003. Data were extracted from the PRFs using a standardized proforma and analyzed using an Excel computer program.Results:Pediatric cases contributed approximately 15% to the overall workload at the event. Children presented with a range of conditions that varied from those seen in the adult population. Children were more likely than adults to present for medical attention following crush injuries (OR = 2.536; 95% CI = 1.537–4.187); after a collapse/syncopal episode (OR = 2.687; 95% CI = 1.442–5.007); or complaining of nausea (OR = 3.484; 95% CI = 2.089–5.813). Alcohol/drugs were less likely to be involved in the precipitating cause for medical attention in children compared to adults (OR = 0.477; 95% CI = 0.250–0.912). No critical care incidents involving children were encountered during the event.Conclusions:Mass gatherings and special events in the UK, such as outdoor music festivals, can involve a large number of children who access medical care for a different range of conditions compared to adults. The care of children at large, outdoor music events should not be overlooked. Event planning in the UK should include measures to ensure that appropriately trained and equipped medical teams are used at music festivals to safeguard the welfare of children who may attend. Further research into this exciting area is required.

Enhancing the Minimum Data Set for Mass-Gathering Research and Evaluation: An Integrative Literature Review

“…As such, the authors of this research propose to enhance the original Ranse and Hutton MDS 3 by including these additions. However, it should be noted that when authors included descriptors or categories such as “dehydration” 10 or “panic attack,” 11 they were omitted from the study as these focus on diagnostic-related classification rather than a presenting problem. Similarly, categories such as “assault” 12 are not included, as this relates to a mechanism of injury rather than an injury itself.…”

“…From the reviewed literature, amendments to the category of “illness” can include: “abdominal pain,” 13 , 14 “allergic reaction,” 15 – 18 “epistaxis,” 10 , 11 , 13 , 19 and “toothache (not resulting from injury).” 16 , 19 Additionally, a number of manuscripts included categories related to obstetric and/or gynecological-related presentations. As such, obstetric and/or gynecological-related presentations ought to be included as an additional medium-level classification, with higher level data including “vaginal bleeding” 16 and “other,” 13 , 19 , 20 as obstetric categories have not been included before.…”

“…The Ranse and Hutton MDS 3 does not include information pertaining to requests for “self-treatment” items. Self-treatment items that existed in the reviewed literature included: adhesive bandage strip/bandaids, 10 , 14 emergency contraception, 11 hearing protection, 14 simple analgesia and over the counter medications, 10 , 11 , 14 , 19 and feminine hygiene products (such as tampons and sanitary napkins) 14 . Additionally, from clinical experience, the authors of this review suggest the addition of sun cream/sun protection and the provision of water to be added to the list of self-treatment items.…”

The Gillette Stadium Experience: A Retrospective Review of Mass Gathering Events From 2010 to 2015

“…Similar difficulties related to documentation have been reported elsewhere as a persistent problem, despite attempts to standardize the record keeping at mass gathering events. 7,[13][14][15][16][17] The reported attendance numbers for stadium events do not include stadium staff working at the event. Occasionally stadium employees seek medical attention and are included among medical contacts, possibly falsely inflating patient presentation rates.…”

Health care in a unique setting: applying emergency medicine at music festivals

“…A recent study has highlighted the unexpected number of children seen at a large music festival in the UK. 22 The difficulty of accurately assessing the age range of attendees at music festivals is due to the lack of reliable data on those who attend but do not seek medical attention. It seems prudent therefore when planning the medical provision for a major event such as a music festival to ensure that medical practitioners have the appropriate training and experience to assess and treat patients of all ages.…”