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Description

Electronic dance music (EDM) festivals are associated with recreational drug use and medical emergencies, yet comparative data on the severity of festival-related overdoses are limited. This study compared hospital outcomes, particularly critical care utilization, between patients transported from the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) and those with non–festival-related overdoses during the same period. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults (≥18 years) presenting with drug or alcohol overdose to an urban tertiary care teaching hospital between May 17, 2019, and May 20, 2024. Patients were classified as EDC-related or non-EDC based on electronic medical record documentation. Group differences were assessed using chi-square and independent t-tests. Logistic regression evaluated predictors of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Of 1127 hospital admissions, 103 met eligibility criteria; 40 (38.80%) were EDC-related and 63 (61.20%) were non-EDC. EDC-related patients were younger (32.40 ± 8.50 vs. 44.30 ± 11.60 years, p < 0.001) but did not differ significantly from non-EDC patients in sex distribution, drug use patterns, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, or QT intervals. ICU admission was higher among EDC-related patients compared with non-EDC patients (77.50% vs. 44.40%, p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in total hospital length of stay, ICU length of stay, or mortality between groups. Logistic regression showed age and EDC status as the significant predictors of ICU admission.BMI demonstrated a borderline association whereas sex, QT interval, were not independently associated with ICU admission.

Publisher Location

Las Vegas (Nev.)

Publication Date

Spring 4-17-2026

Publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Keywords

EDC; mass gathering; overdose; intensive care; music festival

Disciplines

Emergency and Disaster Management | Emergency Medicine | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

File Format

PDF

File Size

346 KB

Comments

Mentor: Mutsumi Kioka

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

When the Beat Drops, Do Patients Rise? Critical Care Utilization at Electric Daisy Carnival, Las Vegas


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