After the May 12th Wenchuan earthquake, the Department of Architecture and Operation of West China Hospital took prompt action to examine the damage of the hospital buildings. And then experts were invited to perform a safety evaluation of all the hospital buildings. Meanwhile, a real-time monitoring system was initiated to identify any subsequent damage caused by after-shocks. In timely response to the clinical demand, potential dangers were removed so as to ensure the medical rescue work for the wounded.
Objective To compare the medical emergency rescue systems used during earthquakes in America, Japan, Russia and China; so as to provide reference material for the establishment and improvement of such a system in China. Methods We searched the official websites of China, America, Japan and Russia, WHO.int, CNKI, OVID, The Cochrane Library and other authoritative sources to collect information involving the medical emergency rescue systems used during earthquakes. The mechanism, legal management, preventive measures and performance of each country’s medical emergency rescue system were summarized and compared. Results Crisis management, integrated action and legal support were highly emphasized in America, Japan and Russia. America and Japan have performed well in implementing routine preventive measures. The organizational structure of the medical emergency rescue system in China was similar to that of the other countries, but its performance was not satisfactory due to insufficient financial support, poor management, inefficient operational mechanism and poor preventive measures. Conclusion There is an urgent need for China to reinforce its medical emergency rescue system. Different models should be taken into account because of the different regional situations in China.
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.
During the medical rescue of Wenchuan earthquake, in accordance with the instruction of the Chinese Ministry of Health, West China Hospital set up the Medical Supply Center for Medical Teams from Other Provinces, put up standard storehouses within 10 hours, performed professional purchase, precisely distributed medical materials according to relevant demands, and decided the scientific route based on the distribution of medical teams from other provinces, so as to ensure the medical materials’ being delivered to the medical teams safely, promptly and accurately.
Objective To assess the acute high altitude sickness (AHAS) and its risk factors among public health emergency responders, so as to provide scientific proof for guaranteeing the safety and health of emergency rescue workers. Methods?The self-administered questionnaire aim at learning AHAS occurrence and its risk factors were distributed to 67 members from 4 teams at different altitudes selected among 35 rescue teams. The AHAS could be diagnosed by a total score of more than or equal to 5 within 3 days since arrival, as in the following detail: 1-3 score could be assigned in accordance with the following symptoms in degrees of the mild, moderate or severe, respectively: headache, nausea or vomiting, lassitude, dizziness and blurred vision, and sleep disorder; and 1 score could be assigned for each of the following symptoms: palpitation, shortness of breath, nosebleed, chest distress, diarrhea, constipation, cyanochroia of the lips, numbness in hands and feet, and dry cough. Results?A total of 54 among 67 (81%) responders completed the questionnaire, among whom 93% were males and the median age was 36 with the scope from 24 to 55, and 63% (34 respondents) developed AHAS. The univariate analysis showed that the altitude of the responders’ original residence (10 score for “lt;100 m” vs. 5.2 score for “gt;1 000 m”, P=0.005), experiences in high altitude areas (10 score for “having not” vs. 6.4 score for “having”, P=0.039), length of stay in an area over 2 000 m altitude before arrival (9.4 score for “≥3 days” vs. 5.7 score for “≤1 day”, P=0.011), luggage weight (9.8 score for “≥25 kg” vs. 5.5 score for “lt;25 kg”, P=0.002) were correlated with AHAS severity. The multivariate linear regression indicated that the lower altitude of the responders’ original residence and the short stay in an area over 2000m altitude before arrival were the factors influencing the severity of AHAS. The linear regression formulation was Y= 2.89 - 0.187 × the altitude of the responders’ original residence (pre 100m) + 2.43 × the length of stay in an area over 2000m altitude before arriving at Yushu (day). Conclusions?The past experiences and the pre-arrival preparation are critical factors of AHAS. Measures should be taken to protect the safety and health of responders dispatched to high altitude areas.
The Department of Finance, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, ChinaAbstract During the medical rescue of the earthquake, the Department of Finance of West China Hospital initiated emergency response plan, not only ensured the security of funds of hospital in the earthquake, but also opened a green channel of emergent finance to the wounded, so as to assure more than 2 600 wounded people of their registration for emergency treatment, emergent disposal, hospitalization, operation and medication, the comprehensive, precise and prompt record of which offered the government the basic data and references to work out the policy of financial subsidy for the treatment of the wounded. Furthermore, the financial supervision and management of materials and funds of disaster relief were reinforced.
This article introduces the emergent measures and approaches that West China Hospital has taken to ensure the supply of water, electricity, gas and oxygen during the May 12th Wenchuan earthquake.
During the medical rescue of Wenchuan earthquake, as a hospital which mainly admitted the severely wounded, West China Hospital immediately shifted to the double-track emergent system from the previous single-track system and dispatched sufficient manpower and materials. The beds in the Department of Orthopaedics were increased to 680. In addition, in order to ensure effective treatment, the hospital dealt with the wounded based on their specific conditions in different stages and optimized the flow of admission of the wounded. Besides, we opened the referral channel for the wounded. Up to June 2nd, 2008, a total of 2 618 wounded people have been treated in to the hospital, and 648 with minor injuries after proper treatment have been referred to the nearby basic-level hospitals.
Shortly after the disastrous Wenchuan earthquake, a harmonious working environment for healthcare professionals both at home and abroad has been formed in West China Hospital, under an integrated managerial framework and working model. Four foreign medical teams consisting of over 70 professionals and foreign medical materials weighing about 8 tons have been accepted. This model may provide references for the reception of foreign medical teams during the emergent medical rescue for any unexpected event in the future.