Objective To analyze death causes and relevant factors in victims of Wenchuan earthquake．Methods Medical records of 27 dead patients admitted to W est China Hospital during the first 30 days after Wenchuan earthquake were analyzed retrospectively．Patient census data，diagnoses，dispositions，and prognoses were collected． Results A total of 2702 patients with earthquake related injuries were admitted to West China Hospital．The overall mortality rate was 1％(27／2702 patients)．The death were associated with age≥70．severe cerebral injuries and severe underlying illness．Mortality rate was highest in aged patients with comorbidities．Conclusions Insufficient pre-hospital treatment and inappropriate transfer procedure may contribute to the early death．Complicated with comorbidities is the leading cause of late death．Earlier involvement of intensivist in medical intervention in such a disaster is demanded．
Citation： XUE Xinsheng,ZHANG Zhongwei,ZHOU Yan,DENG Lijing,WANG Bo,KANG Yan. Retrospective analysis of death causes and relevant factors in victims of the 2008 W enchuan earthquake. Chinese Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2008, 08(4): 245-247. doi: Copy