The influence of the 2010 World Cup on the Tygerberg Poison Information Centre

Abstract

PICs should be consulted during the planning stages of major sporting events. Contingency plans should still be in place to overcome any unexpected rise in call volume.

Emergency department presentations during the State of Origin rugby league series: a retrospective statewide analysis

“…Two studies in Northern Ireland found no effect of sporting events on a district hospital ED 6 and a paediatric ED 8 . An English study found no association with match days in the 1996 European Football Championship, 7 and there was no significant effect on a poison information call centre during the 2010 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in South Africa 9 . Other studies have found an increase in workload.…”

“…The impact of major sporting events on health and health care utilisation has been studied, with varying results. Some studies demonstrated a decrease in ED attendance, 1 ‐ 5 some no effect, 6 ‐ 9 and others an increase in workload 10 . ‐ 12 In the United States, women were more likely to attend the ED during World Series baseball games, whereas male attendance was reduced 13 .…”