Preventable Trauma during Arba'een Procession

Introduction: The annual Arba'een pilgrimage is the world's largest Religious ceremony. This gathering is performed during the 20th day of "Safar" the second month of the lunar calendar. More than 20 million Pilgrims from Iraq, Iran, and other countries participate in the holy city of Karbala. Most pilgrims walk about 80 kilometers to arrive there by procession in scorching weather, and because of this bad climate, they face some physical harm and injuries. The study aims to assess the types of common injuries during this condition among the Arba'een pilgrimages. Additionally, we will give some preventive health advice for the pilgrims to reduce its prevalence.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all trauma patients were referred to one of the medical units based between Najaf and Karbala, affiliated with Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, during the Arba'een pilgrimage ceremony from August 29th to September 6th, 2023. Demographic information, causes, and types of trauma were recorded. The data in the questionnaire was categorized and analyzed using SPSS-26 software.Results: The study included 209 patients; 122 (58.1%) were male, and 87 (41.9%) were female. The average age of all participants was 38.63 ± 17.92 years (range: 2–73 years). Patients were categorized into two groups: preventable traumatic injuries, 119 patients (56.6%), and traumatic injuries caused by various incidents, 91 patients (43.4%).Conclusion: The present study showed that more than fifty percent of the injuries among the patients, including foot blisters, groin sweat rash, heat stroke, and ingrown toenails, are preventable. Training and following guidelines can prevent or reduce the incidence of these injuries in long walking.

Preventable Trauma during Arba'een Procession Keywords:

Heat Stroke , foot blister , sweat burn , Arba'een procession