Men Delay ER Trips To Watch Sports

(WebMD)  Some men may take their sports too seriously, delaying trips to hospital emergency rooms during major sports events.

So say researchers including David Jerrard, MD, of the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.

Their findings will be presented next week in New Orleans at the 37th annual scientific session of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).

"It's important for everyone to seek immediate medical attention when they are experiencing the symptoms of a medical emergency," Jerrard says in an ACEP news release.

"Men should not risk their health by putting off going to the emergency room because they want to see the final results of a football game," he continues. "It could be the last game they ever see."

Game Over

Jerrard's team studied the number of men admitted to the University of Maryland Medical Center in the four hours following nearly 800 televised games over three years.

The games were either postseason professional football games, major league baseball games, or Division l college football or basketball games.

For comparison, the researchers also tracked the number of men admitted to the same ER during the same hours on days without major, televised sports matches.

More men were seen in the hours after games than on nongame days, the study shows.

"In our previous study, we found that visits by men to emergency departments declined during televised sporting events, "Jerrard says in an ACEP news release.

He says the new study was designed to see "whether there was an increase in visits by men once games were over, and that's exactly what we found."

The pattern doesn't seem to be limited to championship games, such as the Super Bowl, Jerrard notes.

When to Go to the Emergency Room

Do you know when to go to the emergency room? The American College of Emergency Physicians says these symptoms indicate a medical emergency:

Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath

Chest or upper abdominal pain or pressure

Fainting, sudden dizziness, weakness

Changes in vision

Confusion or changes in mental status

Any sudden or severe pain

Uncontrolled bleeding

Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea

Coughing or vomiting blood

Suicidal feelings

Difficulty speaking

Shortness of breath

Unusual abdominal pain

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SOURCES: American College of Emergency Physicians' 37th Annual Scientific Assembly, New Orleans, Oct. 15-18, 2006. News release, American College of Emergency Physicians. American College of Emergency Physicians: "When Should I Go to the Emergency Department?"

By Miranda Hitti
Reviewed by Louise Chang