Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T06:08:38.809Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Health Care Services in Shopping Centers: A Routine Mass-Gathering Event

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 October 2020

Mehmet Ali Ceyhan*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Ankara City Hospital, Bilkent, Ankara, Turkey
Gültekin Günhan Demir
Affiliation:
Department of Cardiology, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey
*
Correspondence: Mehmet Ali Ceyhan University of Health Sciences Ankara City Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine 06800, Bilkent, Ankara, Turkey E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Background:

Shopping centers (SCs) are social areas with a group of commercial establishments which attract customers of numerous people every day. However, analysis of urgent health conditions and provided health care in SCs has not been performed so far.

Objective:

The aim of the study was to perform a comparative analysis of clients visiting SCs and demographics, complaints, and health care of patients admitted to Emergency Medical Intervention Units (EMIU) located in grand SCs in Ankara, Turkey.

Methods:

Customer and health care records of nine grand SCs in Ankara from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018 were evaluated retrospectively. Health care services in EMIUs of SCs were provided by employed medical staff. Data including demographic characteristics, complaints, treatment protocols, discharge, and referral to hospital of the patients were retrospectively analyzed from medical registration forms.

Results:

Medical records of nine grand SCs were analyzed. Number of customers could not be obtained in three SCs due to privacy issues and were not included in patient presentation rate (PPR) and transport-to-hospital rate (TTHR) calculation. Total number of customers in the remaining six SCs were 53,277,239. The total number of patients seeking medical care was 6,749. The number of patients seeking health care in six SCs with known number of customers was 4,498 and PPR ranged from 0.018 to 0.381 patients per 1,000 attendants. The median age of the recorded 4,065 patients (60.2%) was 28 (interquartile range [IQR]: 38-21), and 3,611 (53.5%) of the patients admitted to EMIUs were female. The number of patients treated in the SC was 4,634 (68.6%) and 189 patients (2.8%) were transferred-to-hospital by ambulance for further evaluation and treatment. Transportation to hospital was required in 125 patients who sought medical care in six SCs which provided total number of customers, and TTHR ranged from 0.000 to 0.005 patients per 1,000 attendants. No sudden cardiac death was seen. Medical conditions were the primary reasons for seeking health care. The most frequent causes of presentation were laceration and abrasions (639 patients, 9.4%).

Conclusion:

The PPR and TTHR in SCs are low. The most common causes of presentation are minor conditions and injuries. Majority of urgent medical conditions in SCs can be managed by health care providers in EMIUs.

Type
Original Research
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Shopping Center Definitions. International Council of Shopping Centers Web site. https://www.icsc.com/news-and-views/research/shopping-center-definitions. Accessed March 29, 2020.Google Scholar
Arbon, P. Mass-gathering medicine: a review of the evidence and future directions for research. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2007;22(2):131135.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Arbon, P, Bridgewater, FH, Smith, C. Mass-gathering medicine: a predictive model for patient presentation and transport rates. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2001;16(3):150-158.Google ScholarPubMed
TÜİK official interactive demographics application. https://biruni.tuik.gov.tr/ilgosterge/?locale=tr. Accessed March 29, 2020.Google Scholar
Hnatow, DA, Gordon, DJ. Medical planning for mass gatherings: a retrospective review of the San Antonio Papal Mass. Prehosp Disaster Med. 1991;6(04):443450.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grant, WD, Nacca, NE, Prince, LA, Scott, JM. Mass-gathering medical care: retrospective analysis of patient presentations over five years at a multi-day mass gathering. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2010;25(2):183187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Feldman, MJ, Lukins, JL, Verbeek, RP, MacDonald, RD, Burgess, RJ, Schwartz, B. Half-a-million strong: the emergency medical services response to a single-day, mass-gathering event. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2004;19(4):287296.Google ScholarPubMed
Grange, JT, Green, SM, Downs, W. Concert medicine: spectrum of medical problems encountered at 405 major concerts. Acad Emerg Med. 1999;6(3):202207.Google ScholarPubMed
Varon, J, Fromm, RE, Chanin, K, Filbin, M, Vutpakdi, KJ. Critical illness at mass gatherings is uncommon. Emerg Med. 2003;25(4):409-413.Google ScholarPubMed
Thierbach, AR, Wolcke, BB, Piepho, T, Maybauer, M, Huth, R. Medical support for children’s mass gatherings. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2003;18(1):1419.Google ScholarPubMed
Dutch, MJ, Senini, LM, Taylor, DJ. Mass gathering medicine: The Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games experience. Emerg Med Australas. 2008;20(3):228233.Google ScholarPubMed
Pakravan, AH, West, RJ, Hodgkinson, DW. Suffolk Show 2011: prehospital medical coverage in a mass-gathering event. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2013;28(5):529532.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Locoh-Donou, S, Guofen, Y, Welcher, M, Berry, T, O’Connor, RE, Brady, WJ. Mass-gathering medicine: a descriptive analysis of a range of mass-gathering event types. Am J Emerg Med. 2013;31(5):843846.Google ScholarPubMed
Marino, P, Albergoni, E, Andreassi, A, et al. Mass gatherings in Italy: a study from the 2015 Milan Expo. J Health Soc Sci. 2016;1(2):9198.Google Scholar
Moreno Millán, E, RaposoTriano, MF, ÁlvarezLeiva, C. Medical care at long duration mass gatherings: is the Seville 92 Expo a useful model for Saragossa ’08? Emergencias. 2008;20:125130.Google Scholar
Steffen, R, Bouchama, A, Johansson, A, et al. Non-communicable health risks during mass gatherings. Lancet Infect Dis. 2012;12(2):142149.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pérez-Gómez, HR, Ramos-Zúñiga, R, Gutiérrez-Padilla, JA, et al. Mass-gathering medical strategies: the experience in the International Book Fair in Guadalajara. Gac Med Mex. 2015;151(4):519-524.Google ScholarPubMed
Milsten, AM, Seaman, KG, Liu, P, Bissell, RA, Maguire, BJ. Variables influencing medical usage rates, injury patterns, and levels of care for mass gatherings. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2003;18(4):334346.Google ScholarPubMed
De Lorenzo, RA. Mass gathering medicine: a review. Prehosp Disaster Med. 1997;12(1):6872.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Alquthami, AH, Pines, JM. A systematic review of noncommunicable health issues in mass gatherings. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(2):167175.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grange, JT, Baumann, GW, Vaezazizi, R. On-site physicians reduce ambulance transports at mass gatherings. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2003;7(3):322326.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Michael, JA, Barbera, JA. Mass gathering medical care: a twenty-five-year review. Prehosp Disaster Med. 1997;12(4):305312.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Locoh-Donou, S, Yang, G, Berry, T, et al. Mass gathering medicine: event factors predicting patient presentation rates. İntern Emerg Med. 2016;11(5):745752.Google ScholarPubMed
Anikeeva, O, Arbon, P, Zeitz, K, et al. Patient presentation trends at 15 mass-gathering events in South Australia. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(4):368374.Google ScholarPubMed
Milsten, AM, Maguire, BJ, Bissell, RA, Seaman, KG. Mass-gathering medical care: a review of the literature. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2002;17(3):151162.Google ScholarPubMed
Zeitz, KM, Schneider, DP, Jarrett, D, Zeitz, CJ. Mass gathering events: retrospective analysis of patient presentations over seven years. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2002;17(3):147150.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ceyhan, MA, Demir, GG, Güler, GB. Evaluation of Health Care Services Provided in Political Public Meetings in Turkey: A Forgotten Detail in Politics. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(6):607613.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zhang, JJ, Wang, LD, Chen, Z, Ma, J, Dai, JP. Medical care delivery at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games World. J Emerg Med. 2011;2(4):267271.Google Scholar
Krul, J, Sanou, B, Swart, EL, Girbes, AR. Medical care at mass gatherings: emergency medical services at large-scale rave events. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(1):71-74.Google ScholarPubMed
Sanders, AB, Criss, E, Steckl, P, Meislin, HW, Raife, J, Allen, D. An analysis of medical care at mass gatherings. Ann Emerg Med. 1986;15(5):515519.Google ScholarPubMed
Salhanick, SD, Sheahan, W, Bazarian, JJ. Use and analysis of field triage criteria for mass gatherings. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2003;18(4):347352.Google ScholarPubMed
Feldman, MJ, Lukins, JL, Verbeek, PR, Burgess, RJ, Schwartz, B. Use of treat-and-release medical directives for paramedics at a mass gathering. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2005;9(2):213217.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yazawa, K, Kamijo, Y, Sakai, R, Ohashi, M, Owa, M. Medical care for a mass gathering: The Suwa Onbashira Festival. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2007;22(5):431435.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed