In the large-scale strata up to thousands of kilometers in dimension acrossing China or even the whole Asian region, an integrated floating may take place in an instant which can release tremendous energy to cause a huge earthquake, revealed by Prof. XU Shao-xie, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering. The Wenchuan earthquake that happened at 14:28 on May 12, 2008 measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale was located at an intersection point of several earthquake belts along different directions, which may account for such a large-scale earthquake.
　　The disastrous earthquake that hit Sichuan, a major high-dense province in west China, has resulted in the largest disaster-affected area, the highest casualties and death toll as well as the most rarely-seen population of the seriously wounded throughout the Chinese earthquake history, posing a tough challenge to the discipline level of Disaster Medicine in China or even the whole world and the capabilities for regional medical rescue.
　　Immediately after the quake, “saving lives” as the first priority, the Chinese government began real-time video/audio broadcasting, organized relevant units, teams and experts to take prompt action for rescue, and made a wise decision to accept assistance from the international professional medical rescue teams. Many miracles have been created which smashed several records in the history of earthquake medical rescue .
　　A new column of “Wenchuan Earthquake Medical Rescue” is being initiated from this issue. Based on the overall perspective and evidence-oriented characteristics of evidence-based medicine, this column publishes a series of original articles, review articles, articles on management research, policy research, economics research and practice and communication related to the medical rescue after the Wenchuan earthquake. Also, photos are presented with concise texts, which may contribute to the scientific record of the great leap forward from a big disaster to grand development. Manuscripts, research contributions, discussions and communications from relevant administrators, researchers, medical rescuers, volunteers, journalists, logistic servers, or even the wounded and their family members are all welcomed. We really hope that this initiative will promote the establishment of the discipline of modern Disaster Medicine, regional medical rescue centers and multi-disciplinary rescue teams, and improve the efficiency, quality and cost-effectiveness of such medical rescue.

Citation： LI Youping. Introduction to the New Column of Wenchuan Earthquake Medical Rescue. Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine, 2008, 08(6): 379-379. doi: 10.7507/1672-2531.20080082 Copy