Hand Injuries Requiring Surgical Intervention During the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022; A Retrospective Epidemiological Study

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Major sporting events worldwide are generally associated with higher incidence of violence from fans and visitors around the world, leading to higher number of injuries. The FIFA World Cup 2022 took place in Doha, Qatar from November 20th to December 18th, 2022. The aim of this study is to focus on the number of hand injuries during that time which required surgical intervention, and to provide a clinical description of these hand injuries. Material and Methods: Records of 103 patients with hand injuries were reviewed during the period of the FIFA World Cup 2022. The statistical software (IBM SPSS version 24; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used for data analysis. Measures of variation and central tendency were used to summarize the patients’ main characteristics and epidemiological profile. Results: The mean age of the patients was 33.4 ± 11.7 years. The vast majority of patients were residents of Qatar (95%), while visitors accounted for only 5% of cases. The most common mechanism of injury was cutting penetrating (43%). Work-related injuries accounted for the majority of cases (55%). Conclusion: Our results indicated no significant increase in workflow during the month of the tournament, which the authors attribute to the high level of coordination between the organizing bodies. However, we recommend all hospitals in countries hosting such tournaments to be prepared for major incidents through logistical preparations, educational courses, and back-up plans of the surgeons on-call schedules to ensure smooth flow, patient safety and avoid staff fatigue.