Objective To analyze the injury characteristics and the rescue process and effects for the victims admitted in the People’s Hospital of Deyang City within 72 hours after 4.20 Lushan earthquake, so as to discuss how to adopt the emergency program to implement medical rescue in disaster relief. Methods The data of 25 earthquake victims admitted in the hospital from April 20th, 2013 to April 23rd, 2013 were collected to analyze age, gender, the location of injury, the injury state of different age groups, and the prognosis of victims. Results Of the 25 victims with injuries on 32 locations of the body, there were 20 cases with single injury (80.00%) and 5 cases with multiple injuries (20.00%). Most injuries were seen in four limbs, body surface, and soft tissues; and the incidence of single injury was higher than that of multiple injuries. The number of admitted victims was largest on the first day after earthquake, accounted for 92.00%, which was obviously higher than that on the second and the third day. Victims aged from 19 to 45 years old was more than those of other ages. Conclusion Scientific emergency command system and disaster emergency program play an high-efficient command role in disaster rescue, shorten the time of emergency response, and improve the ability of disaster rescue. The comprehensive capacity of self-rescue and well-organized rescue for disaster area can be improved as long as the general public is educated about the disaster emergency program and cooperative emergency drill. Meanwhile, smooth traffic and unobstructed communication are guaranteed in the disaster area, and the cooperative efforts are made by all walks of society.
Objective To investigate the injury characteristics of 33 children of Lushan earthquake victims no more than 14 years old treated in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University, and to put forward the early rehabilitation strategy. Methods A total of 33 earthquake children victims were investigated with the modified barthel index score (MBI) and analyzed in following aspects: age, causes, and injury. Results a) The 33 children victims accounted for 10.28% of the total earthquake victims treated in the hospital, they were all no more than 14 years old, and the average age was 7.24 years old. 17 cases were fractures of trunk and limbs, six were traumatic brain injury, and four were soft tissue injury. b) The main traumatic causes were crush by falling objects and heavy stuffs; and some children rarely suffered from hurt, burn and fall injury when running. c) Most children victims were simple open injuries and fractures, especially the limbs fractures accounted for 51.51% of the total cases, and there was only one case suffered from abdominal organ injuries. d) Among 33 children victims, 30 (90.9%) were from the towns and villages. They mainly got injured by the collapse of house or courtyard walls which were not as ber as the house in the cities, so the incidence of severe injury was lower, the degree of injury was milder, and the injury of major organ was rarer. Conclusion Early rehabilitation treatment is helpful to prevent the complications and early recover the functions. It suggests the early rehabilitation treatment should be carried out for the earthquake children victims in order to promote the fracture healing and functional recovery, as well as to prevent the complications. In addition, attention should also be paid to the psychological problems while concerning rehabilitation training.
In the hospital where centralized treatment was applied for the victims after Yiliang earthquake (on 7th September, 2012), a holistic rehabilitation service mode which centred on supportive psychological intervention promoting was developed by the Yiliang psychological crisis intervention team designated by the National Health and Family Planning Commision of the People’s Republic of China. The pattern takes psychological nurses as liaison, bases on the integrity and continuity of medical service, roots in comprehensive health assessment and key assessment of mental trauma stress, emphasizes on solving realistic problems for patients and their caregivers, provides supportive psychological intervention, and encourages psychological nurses to offer psychological support for earthquake victims with the help of quantitative self-assessment of social psychological support service. In practice, the mode of psychological services, which could be contiuously conducted, is welcomed by hospital managers, work staff, and earthquake victims and their caregivers.
Objective To explore the traumatic situation and transfer methods of the in-patients injured in Lushan Earthquake, and to provide evidence for treating injured mass in future. Methods The information of the patients injured in Lushan Earthquake who were admitted in Chengdu Military General Hospital were collected by “No. 1 Military Medical Project” hospital information system and a self-edited “Questionnaire for Hospitalized Patients Injured in 4.20 Lushan Earthquake”. Results A total of 65 patients were admitted in this hospital: 63 (96.92%) patients were injured in the main shock; 28 (43.08%) patients were injured by building collapse; 23 (35.38%) patients got injured due to falls or got bruised when escaping; and 14 (21.54%) patients were accidentally injured. Rescue methods: 32 (49.23%) patients were saved by themselves; 23 (35.38%) patients were mutually helped; 10 (15.38%) patients were rescued by local non-military rescue team; 34 (52.31%) patients were rescued by military rescue teams; and 26 (44.83%) patients were transferred by air transport. Conclusion In order to cope with emergencies and major disasters (e.g. earthquake) and to treat injured mass scientifically in the future, we should set up emergency wards scientifically and reasonably, carry out education on earthquake prevention and disaster mitigation widely, reinforce self-care and mutual aid in the stricken area, quickly send rescue and medical teams, and organize training for air transportation of patients.
Objective A retrospective summary of the planning, organization, and implementation of the transprovince transfer of patients injured in Wenchuan Earthquake with an emphasis on experiences that may be helpful in future emergency rescue and patient transfer. Methods We collected the daily reports of a patient transfer team attached to the Sichuan Rescue Headquarters from May 12 through May 31, 2008. Results Under the guidance of policy made by the coordinating group of the Ministry of Health, and with the close cooperation of the railway and airline departments the transferring group transferred 10 373 patients in the period studied. The transfers were from 11 disaster areas, including Chengdu, Mianyang, and Deyang, to 20 cities and provinces, including Chongqing, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. There were no casualties during transfer, and thus the biggest peacetime government-organized trans-province patienttransfer in China’s history achieved success. Conclusion Trans-province patient transfer is an effective measure to compensate for inadequate medical materials, relieve pressure on medical rescue, and guarantee quality of treatment. In the future, emergency plans for different types of disasters will be established, the information platform will be improved, and transfer procedures will be specified.
Objective To investigate the recovery status of people wounded in the Wenchuan earthquake. Method Data were retrospectively collected from administrative documents in the Bureau of Medical Affairs, Sichuan Provincial Health Department. The severity of injury was assessed by Injury Severity Score (ISS). The data were recorded by EXCEL software and descriptive analysis was conducted. Results Our analysis results of rehabilitation treatment through Feb. 5, 2009 shows that 27,080 of the 28,008 patients had been treated and discharged, for a discharge rate of 97.8%. There were 928 patients still in hospitals at that time, including 55 cases of traumatic brain injury, 163 cases of paraplegia, 260 amputees, and 449 cases of severe spine, pelvis and other fractures. Some amputees needed to receive replacement of artificial limbs or stump dressing operation and rehabilitation; most patients who were installed internal fixation needed to removal and post-rehabilitation. Conclusions The effectiveness of rehabilitation is significant. Our work in the next stage should focus on (1) continuing to improve the establishment of province’s rehabilitation capabilities and increasing capital investment; (2) enhancing training for medical rehabilitation practitioners in order to improve operational standards and service capabilities; (3) developing the wounded rehabilitation standards in later stages, conducting follow-up and functional training in order to maximize recovery and return to society; (4) increasing employment opportunities for disabled persons.
Objective To analyze clinical characteristics and treatment experience of 143 tibetan victims of China Yushu earthquake, so as to provide reference for emergency preparation for earthquake disasters. Methods A retrospective study from April 16th to April 22th, 2010 was designed. A total of 143 injured Tibetans (74 men, 69 women) of the magnitude 7.1 Yushu earthquake were included in this study. Data from victims was collected retrospectively as follows: age, gender, cause of injury, place and time of rescue, chief complaint, primary diagnosis, onsite treatment, transfer, psychological crisis intervention and so on. Results The 143 tibetan victims contained 67 fracture cases (4 open fracture, 63 closed fracture), 5 joint dislocation cases and 3 neural injury cases. 62 victims with fracture were treated by Tibetan-Chinese therapy combined with external fixation, 5 victims were operated with emergency surgery, 6 victims refused to the surgical debridement and suture, and no dead case reported. All patients were given 3 to 11 psychological intervention treatments. As to the aspect of the wounded transferring, 48 cases among 54 supposed evacuating victims were transferred to Xinin hospitals, and the other six refused to be transferred and kept staying in the original place for treatment. Conclusion The clinical characteristics of the tibetan victims are outstanding. The medical rescue for disaster in ethnic region should be appropriate for features of disaster areas.Both the individualized remedy and early psychological intervention are regarded as the important measures for improving the general level of earthquake medical rescue in ethnic regions.
Objective To analyze the outcome of patients with abdominal injury (AI) in the Chengdu Army General Hospital within 48 hours after the Wenchuan earthquake, in order to provide evidence for future improvement in emergency response after earthquakes and in the treatment of AI patients. Methods Data on the AI patients within 48 hours after the earthquake were collected from the Information Department of the Hospital. Microsoft EXCEL was used for data input. Results A total of 33 AI inpatients were treated which was 3.1% of the total inpatients. The AI inpatients suffered severe and complex injuries, and one of them died (mortality rate: 3%). Conclusion As a second-line Grade-A hospital,prompt triage is very important to patients who were rescued 48 hours after the earthquake. Reasonable damage control surgery and remedies prepared by medical staff from different specialties after the operations may decrease mortality rate.
Objective To analyze retrospectively the overall situation of medical rescue in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University after the Wenchuan earthquake, so as to provide references for the emergency preparation for the disaster of earthquake. Methods Analysis was based on the data provided by the Department of Information, the Medical Record Library, the Department of Emergency, the Department of Orthopaedics and other related departments of the hospital. The software Microsoft EXCEL was used for data management, and SPSS 13.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results From May 22 to May 26, 91 cases from the disaster area had been treated in the hospital, of which 90 were from Mianyang and 1 from Chengdu. These patients included 44 males with a median age of 38 (27, 53) years old and 47 females with a median age of 51 (33, 62) years old. Most patients were sent to the hospital within the first 10 or 11 days after the earthquake, with 86.8% hospitalized after 10 days and 22.0% after 11 days. The number of outpatients reached its peak of 37.1% of all the outpatients (33 cases) within 34 days after the earthquake. The wounded were mainly admitted into the Department of Orthopaedics, with 34.81% of the patients having lower limb fracture, 18.26% having spine fracture, and 12.59% suffering pelvis fracture. Only 2 out of the 89 patients died. One death was due to 60% burning injury and 1 died of multiple catastrophic injuries. Conclusion Based on the data, it is important to develop an emergent plan for medical rescues after an earthquake disaster and to strengthen the reserve of medical supplies, personnel training, scientific field triage and the construction of information platforms.