[Prehospital care at the Rotterdam Marathon: This reduces the pressure on the acute care chain].

Abstract

Objective: To illustrate prehospital care during the Rotterdam Marathon and demonstrate its impact on the acute care chain.

Design: Retrospective study of the impact of prehospital care during the Rotterdam Marathon from 2019 to 2024.

Method: Data on the use of medical care and ambulances, as well as the diagnoses of the victims, were collected from the involved parties. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis.

Results: During the last five editions, an average of 219 victims were treated per year at medical posts, of which an average of 84 per year had injuries that would have resulted in an ambulance, emergency department or general practitioner visit without medical posts. There was sufficient emergency department capacity for urgent care.

Conclusion: The multidisciplinary approach to prehospital care at the Rotterdam Marathon contributes to providing the right care in the right place and avoids unnecessary pressure on the regular acute care chain.