Abstract
BackgroundArbaeenia is the largest religious mass gathering (MG) in Iraq where millions of people from Iraq and many other countries visit Karbala city, south Iraq. MGs are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality from different noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, and asthma. There is a scarcity of publications that address MGs in Iraq.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the NCD emergencies in public hospitals in Karbala, Najaf, and Babel governorates in Iraq, during the Arbaeenia MG and assess predisposing factors for NCD emergencies.MethodsThe study was conducted from November 27 to December 16, 2014. Data were collected in the pre-event and during MG event from 7 selected hospitals. The pre-event data were collected from emergency room (ER) registers and logbooks, and the data on the MG event were collected daily through direct interview with patients and treating physicians using a structured questionnaire.ResultsIn total, 4425 NCD emergencies were recorded. Of these, 80.13% (3546/4425) were collected during the MG event. The NCD emergencies attended at ER hospitals during MG were severe hypertension (HT), diabetes (hyperglycemia), ischemic heart disease (IHD), asthma, and pulmonary edema. The load of NCD emergencies and the daily average emergencies increased 4-fold and 2-fold during the MG event, respectively. Most of the NCD emergencies were treated at ER departments, and a few were hospitalized. Intense physical activities and poor adherence to diet and medication were risk factors for IHD, severe HT, and hyperglycemic diabetes emergencies. Exposure to noxious gases or fumes and recent respiratory infections were risk factors for asthma emergencies.ConclusionsAs the pilgrims approached Karbala city during the Arbaeenia MG, the hospitals on the roads leading to the city experienced an increased load of patients because of different NCD emergencies. Although hospitals should be equipped with the necessary supplies, health education for pilgrims is mandatory, particularly on the factors that can exacerbate their diseases.
Highlights
BackgroundThe World Health Organization defines mass gatherings (MGs) as “events attended by a sufficient number of people to strain the planning and response resources of a community, state or nation” [1]
This study aimed to describe noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) emergencies during the Arbaeenia MG and to assess predisposing factors for NCD emergencies
A larger number of males were observed during the event phase, whereas a similar ratio of both sexes was observed in the pre-event phase
Summary
BackgroundThe World Health Organization defines mass gatherings (MGs) as “events attended by a sufficient number of people to strain the planning and response resources of a community, state or nation” [1]. MGs carry potential health risks to the local population and to the global community [2,3,4]. Such gatherings pose a significant public health threat to the host country and the attendees’ countries of origin [2,3,5,6,7,8]. MGs are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality from different noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, and asthma. Conclusions: As the pilgrims approached Karbala city during the Arbaeenia MG, the hospitals on the roads leading to the city experienced an increased load of patients because of different NCD emergencies. Hospitals should be equipped with the necessary supplies, health education for pilgrims is mandatory, on the factors that can exacerbate their diseases
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