Summary: Emergency medical care systems are essential for mass gathering events held in large stadiums. In May 2022, Nippon Sport Science University agreed with the Japan Professional Football League’s Yokohama F. Marinos to provide first aid for spectators at soccer stadiums. This first-aid system was developed mainly by paramedics, with the participation of paramedic students. In this study, we analyzed the occurrence of injuries and weather conditions across 51 games from May 2022 to September 2024. We specifically examined the patient presentation rate (PPR) and the transport to hospital rate (TTHR). We also explored the correlation between temperature, WBGT (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature), and PPR. The average annual attendance was 26,903 (±12,220). The PPR was 0.15 (±0.20), and the TTHR was 0.02 (±0.04). There were 4.69 (±5.75) injuries per game, with 88.4% of cases not requiring medical attention. However, injuries were significantly more frequent during the summer months. The incidence of patients in soccer stadiums showed a weak positive correlation with the number of attendees (r = 0.430) and a stronger positive correlation with higher temperatures (r = 0.537) and WBGT (r = 0.517). Similar trends have been reported in other countries regarding the association between PPR and temperature, and this study confirmed the same pattern. Although no cases of cardiac arrest occurred, the early intervention rescue system effectively prevented patients from becoming seriously ill. Further research is needed to develop prevention strategies, especially for heat stroke during the summer season.
Ogura et al. (Sun,) studied this question.