Abstract

A material is presented of the pattern of injuries, treatment model and the extra work-load for the local hospital during the hitherto largest Danish National Games with 28,789 participants. The games lasted for three days and 11 types of sport 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 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) andlesions of tendons and ligaments (7.1). Injuries to the lower limbs comprized 75.2 while injuries to the upper limbs comprized 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. Verf.-Referat