Delays in Emergency Care and Mortality during Major U.S. Marathons

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 376; no. 15; pp. 1441 - 1450
• Main Authors: Jena, Anupam B, Mann, N. Clay, Wedlund, Leia N, Olenski, Andrew
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Massachusetts Medical Society 13.04.2017
• Subjects: Aged; Ambulance services; Ambulances; Beneficiaries; Data processing; Emergency medical care; Emergency Medical Services; Female; Heart; Heart Arrest - mortality; Heart Arrest - therapy; Heart attacks; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Hospitals; Humans; Infrastructure; Male; Marathons; Medicare; Mortality; Myocardial infarction; Myocardial Infarction - mortality; Myocardial Infarction - therapy; Registries; Running; Time-to-Treatment; Transportation of Patients; United States - epidemiology; United States > US
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJMsa1614073

Road closures could delay emergency care during marathons. In this analysis, patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction or cardiac arrest on marathon days had longer ambulance transport times and higher 30-day mortality than patients hospitalized on nonmarathon days. Preparation for large public events frequently involves road closures, an increase in emergency medical services, and interventions to ensure participant safety. In some instances, such as marathons, these changes may have unintended health consequences for nonparticipants. For example, widespread road closures and diversion of emergency medical services that occur during marathons may result in delays in care for persons with medical emergencies in areas affected by the marathon. Although studies have examined the effect of sporting events on emotional stress and acute cardiovascular events 1 – 4 and on running-related mortality among marathon participants, 5 , 6 data are lacking on whether large infrastructure . . .