Objective To examine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression for medical staffs who took part in rescue in the disaster area after Wenchuan Earthquake. Methods According to purpose sampling method, from June 12th to June 18th, we investigated the medical staffs in eight areas, and the total number was 500. The eight areas included Mianzhu, Deyang, Shifang, Chengdu, Mianyang, Pengzhou, Zitong, and Anxian. The survey tools were PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). After collecting all questionnaires, we divided 500 medical staffs into 2 groups, according to the fact whether the rescue was carried out in the disaster area or not. Results A total of 500 questionnaires were given to the subjects, of which 481 effective ones were collected, and the effective rate was about 96.2%. In addition, the prevalence of PTSD for overall was 23.3%, anxiety was 21.6%, depression was 49.9%, and the anxiety plus depression was 19.54%. At the same time, we found out the averages of PCL-C (48.29±29.90 vs. 34.76±18.03), PCL-C frequency (16.27±15.14 vs. 9.99±10.25), PCL-C severity (32.03±15.26 vs. 24.85±8.60), SAS primitive (37.39±10.35 vs. 32.22±7.61), SAS standard (46.73±12.94 vs. 40.27±9.51), SDS primitive (42.00±8.32 vs. 37.99±9.63), and SDS standard (52.50±10.39 vs. 47.48±11.92) were different. The medical staffs in the disaster area were under more severe conditions, and there were significant differences between the 2 groups. The prevalence of PTSD (28.52% vs. 16.59), anxiety (28.89% vs. 12.32%), depression (58.15% vs. 39.34%), and anxiety plus depression (26.67% vs. 10.43%) between the 2 groups was significantly different, and the disaster area was under severe conditions. Additionally, the prevalences at three levels within SAS and SDS were much higher in the disaster area. There were also significant differences. Conclusion The prevalences of PTSD, SAS, and SDS within medical staffs who took part in rescue in the disaster area after Wenchuan Earthquake are higher than in the non-disaster area. Therefore, we should work out mental intervention and rehabilitation project for medical staffs, especially those who took part in rescue in the disaster area. Finally, the medical staffs’ ability to copy with stress can be improved.
During the medical rescue after the earthquake, the Security Department of West China Hospital understood those factors affecting the hospital safety in the earthquake disaster, established emergent communication platform and information release channel, and opened up special areas and passages for the wounded, so as to ensure smooth passages for the rescue work, security of disaster-relief materials as well as an orderly, safe and stable medical environment.
This paper compares emergency medical rescue experience of West China Hospital of Sichuan University in the latest three earthquakes occurred in western Sichuan, and mainly introduces the experience in organization and coordination, rescue speed, treatment of the injured, and rescue characteristics in Jiuzhaigou earthquake, which can provide reference for future earthquake emergency medical rescue.
Objective To provide a disaster triage method by analyzing the data of the hospital transferring casualties after Wenchuan earthquake. Method The data of the patients’ admission and hospital transferring in the West China Hospital were collected after the earthquake in two weeks. Moreover, the reason and the method of the hospital transferring were analyzed. Result In the first two weeks since the earthquake struck Wenchuan, the number of the available bed for earthquake patients in West China Hospital was 124 per day, but in the 2 227 earthquake patients treated, 1 181 patients were admitted. Comparing with the number of the total hospitalized, the percentage is 53.03%. The hospital was overloaded. After a reasonable hospital transference, the daily number of inpatients was stable and all the patients were treated sufficiently. Conclusion After a natural disaster, an effective administration transferring patients to suitable medical recourse should be performed, so that more right treatments should be given to more right patients in the right time and right place.
Objective To summarize the experience of medical rescue conducted in Aba prefecture after the Wenchuan earthquake in order to provide information for similar tasks in seismo-active regions. Methods We participated and witnessed the whole process of medical rescue through 100 days after the quake. Data regarding the medical rescue work, work mode, performance and problems were collected and analyzed. Results Twelve counties out of the 13 counties in Aba prefecture were affected by the earthquake, including 2 most-hit counties and 5 most-hit areas. A total of 20 233 people died and 7 873 disappeared. Aba Prefectural Headquarters for Earthquake Resistance and Disaster Relief was set up and medical rescue teams were dispatched to the disaster area immediately after the quake: ① From May 12 to May 15 2008, 20 local medical teams comprising 138 healthcare professionals and 14 teams involving 428 professionals from other regions arrived at the most-hit areas. Through 7 days after the quake, medical treatment was provided for 6 285 patient-times. ② A total of 1 444 healthcare professionals participated in the medical rescue work. Through August 20, 355 579 outpatients and 7 028 inpatients were treated in the prefectural medical institutions and on-site medical centers. Of those, 6 726 were discharged, 604 were severely wounded, 20 died and 456 were transferred to other regions for further treatment. 2 703 operations were performed for the wounded and psychological treatment was provided for 4 630 person-times. Conclusion The medical rescue work in Aba prefecture after the Wenchuan earthquake was effective and efficient. Management of human resources and medical devices should be strengthened to enhance the ability of emergency response.
This article introduces the information release and news reports related to the medical rescue in West China Hospital after Wenchuan earthquake, in terms of organization and management of internal and external propaganda, as well as how to organize and optimize volunteers’ involvement in news report. A total of more than 500 medias and over 2000 journalists have been received, 439 items of information have been released, 6675 photos covering 159 topics and 30-hour video records covering 100 topics have been collected. In addition, 5-hour video records and over 1000 photos have been provided to more than 20 medical teams or individual from other provinces.
A 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit china again, 702 days after Wenchuan Earthquake at Yushu prefecture of Qinghai province, 4000 meters above sea level. Up to April 19th, the death toll climbed to 1706, with 256 missing and 12128 injured. West China Hospital, as a regional state-level hospital of Ministry of Health, organized the first batch of medical team with relief supplies at the first day after Yushu earthquake and rushed to Yushu taking part into the rescue effort in golden seventy-two hours. The second day after Yushu earthquake, medical apparatus and drugs valued 5,000,000 RMB were delivered to the rescue site and the second batch of medical team were positioned. Within thirty three hours after the earthquake, 102 people, including 93 earthquake related injuries and 9 armed police with severe altitude illness, were sent to our hospital by air in four batches successively. Based on the first-hand experience of medical rescue in Wenchuan Earthquake, a series of diagnosis and treatment criteria which were built and developed with evidence-based method, and “four concentration principles”, namely concentrating the wounded, concentrating the experts, concentrating resources, and concentrating treatments, our medical rescue in Yushu earthquake were carried out appropriately. Up to 12 am., April 19th, 93 cases from the disaster area have been treated, of whom 54 seriously wounded, 58 underwent operations and none death. The experience learnt from Wenchuan Earthquake have been used, improved and sublimated more rapidly, more appropriately, more effectively in the Yushu earthquake medical rescue.
Objective To analyze the equipment and the working model of Pakistan international medical rescue team in Wenchuan earthquake in order to provide the first hand references for our medical rescue. Methods We analyzed the aim, the staff composition, the medical equipment, the logistic material and the working model of the Pakistan international medical rescue team by working with the Pakistan team, and summarized its strengths and weaknesses. Result The main aim of the Pakistan international medical rescue team is to search, rescue and treat the wounded and sick in mass casualty incident. The team consisted of 28 staffs, including 2 leaders (the executive leader was an epidemic expert, and the vise leader was an administrative officer), 6 clinical doctors, 2 nurses, 3 medical technicians, 10 field search and rescue staffs and 5 logistics staffs. The medical equipment included a field ambulance, 7 field tents and 2 marine satellite phones. The medical equipment and instruments include an X-ray table, a B-ultrasound scanner, an ECG tester, a set of surgery operation equipment and 2 sets of ICU instruments. The main medicines included antibiotics, analgesics and for trauma treatment. Narcotic drugs and surgical supplies supported 200 patients; fluid infusion and drugs were enough for 500 patients; other laboratory reagents were enough for 500 patients; oral drugs, disinfection cotton and bandages were for 3 000 patients. Logistics materials contained a set of cooking appliances, 2 sets of toilet facilities and enough rice, flour and water for the whole team for two weeks. The field tent hospital was built in one day. In the field tent hospital, 1 256 patients were treated, 14 surgeries were performed, 236 X-ray and B-ultrasound examinations as well as 314 biochemical examinations were conducted within 10 days. Conclusion With complete disciplines and rational structure, the configuration of the Pakistan team is fitful for its aim, and it balances the function of search, rescue and public health. Apart from equipment and instruments enough for 300-500 patients rescue, the team also considers both its own survival and environmental protection. The outcome would be better if they could arrive at the spot in the first week after the earthquake happened.
Earthquakes happened frequently and caused a lot of injuries and serious economic loss, which destroyed the ecological environment and challenged the ability and speed in human rescue, treatment, epidemic, and post-disaster reconstruction. This paper compared the medical rescue between Yushu earthquake and Wenchuan earthquake in order to summarize the experience, form the standard, and provide references for decision-making.
Objective To discuss the mode of triage patient in Emergency Department of West China Hospital of Sichuan University after the Wenchuan earthquake and the major experience during the process. Method The patients’ severity level of injury and waiting time for medical care in Emergency Department were analyzed after earthquake in 2 weeks. Result 375 patients were triaged into the severity level and get the treatment followed the triage systems gave the highest rate of survival and lowest rate of over triage and under triage. Conclusion In the calamity of Wenchuan earthquake with large number of casualties, Emergency Department automatically shifted into disaster mode and triage victims by the irregular triage systems. In this situation, medical staff do not just triage the patients to the Emergency Department or to see a doctor, but triage the victims to the medical care immediately and efficiently. By the new triage system, the West China Hospital saves more lives in less time.