Objective To analyze the rationality of emergency medication in the West China Hospital after Lushan earthquake based on the actual drug use of earthquake victims. Methods We applied DDDs and DUI as evaluation index, input data using Excel software, and analyzed if the emergency medication was required for the injury/illness and the rationality of emergency medication. Results Earthquake victims mainly had trauma and wound infection and they were given antibiotics as main treatment one week after the earthquake. Drugs for the respiratory system and digestive system were mainly used in patients who mainly manifested as non-traumatic diseases and internal diseases four weeks after the earthquake. Among 49 kinds of drugs which could be calculated for the value of DUI, injection accounted for a larger proportion than non-injection (59.18% vs. 40.82%). The results showed that, the medication (DUI=1) only accounted for 12.24%; the medication (DUIlt;1, Mean=0.65) accounted for 38.78%, which implied insufficient drug use; the medication (DUIgt;1, Mean=1.77) accounted for 46.94%, which implied drug overuse. Conclusion Medication for every system is basically timely and rational when treating symptoms and causes in the West China Hospital within one month after Lushan earthquake. However, the rationality of emergency medications using DUI=1 under normal conditions still needs to be further verified.
Objective To explore the influence of two emergency reception and triages workflows between Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes on the victim’s length of stay in emergency department of the West China Hospital of Sichuan University. Methods A total of 65 victims admitted in the West China Hospital within 12 hours after Lushan earthquake were retrospectively analyzed, and their diagnosis and treatment information and the length of stay in emergency department were collected and compared with those of the victims in Wenchuan earthquake. Then we analyzed the influence of two emergency reception and triage workflows on the length of stay of the batches of earthquake victims. Results For the Lushan earthquake victims, the median length of stay in the emergency reception and triage workflow was 0.51 hour, while that was 2.13 hours for the Wenchuan earthquake victims, with a significant difference (Plt;0.05). Conclusion The emergency reception and triage workflow for Lushan earthquake victims is a summarized experience and improvement based on that for Wenchuan earthquake, which can be used as references for treating batches of victims in the emergency department after a disaster.
Objective To collect and analyze the data of emergency medicine supply for both Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes victims in the West China Hospital, so as to provide evidence for scientifically and efficiently carrying out the logistical support for emergency rescue medicines supply, and improving the coping capacity for those similar public health emergencies. Methods Both medicine constituent ratios and DDDs were taken as evaluation indexes, and the data were input by Excel software. Then the following items were analyzed: the use and cost of emergency medicine for victims admitted in the hospital from one day to one month after earthquake, as well as, the acceptance, allocation and use of the donation medicines for both Wenchuan and Lusan earthquakes. Results During the first month after Lushan earthquake, the victims used 26 categories of medicines involving 455 drug specifications in the West China Hospital. The dosage and DDDs of therapeutic medicines were higher than those of ancillary medicines. The donation medicines for Lushan earthquake accepted by the hospital were in 8 categories involving 16 drug specifications, and they were all used to rescue the victims in the hospital. Based on the hospital emergency medicine supply system oriented by the information of victim’s medicine use, the drug specification and total drug cost of the donation medicines for Lushan earthquake decreased by 90.91% and 89.73%, respectively, indicating a more accurate and efficient system compared with those for Wenchuan earthquake. Conclusion The implementation of the hospital emergency medicine supply system oriented by the information of victim’s medicine use is helpful to improve the time efficiency and pertinence of earthquake medical rescue.
Objective To analyze the injury and dysfunction as well as the rehabilitation status and demand of the 188 Lushan earthquake victims admitted in the hospitals in and around Ya’an city and the West China Hospital of Sichuan University, so as to provide guidance for the rehabilitation work in the following step. Methods By means of the onsite investigation, 122 victims admitted in 7 hospitals and 2 health centers in and around Ya’an city within 1-9 days after Lushan earthquake, and the other 66 victims treated in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University were analyzed. Results The injury categorization of 122 victims in and around Ya’an city was as follows: upper limb fracture (12.30%), lower limb fracture (42.62%), spine fracture (16.39%) (25.00% treated by surgery and 75.00% treated by non-surgery treatment), pelvis fracture (1.64%), rib fracture (4.10%), traumatic brain injury (10.66%), soft tissue contusion (8.20%), and others (4.09%). At the corresponding period, the injury categorization of 66 victims treated in the department of rehabilitation medicine of the West China Hospital of Sichuan University was as follows: fracture (77.27%), traumatic brain injury (3.03%), spinal cord injury (4.55%), and others, including soft tissue injury (15.15%). At the ninth day after earthquake, among the 122 victims in and around Ya’an city, 8 victims (6.56%) were recovered with self-care ability of daily living, and the other 144 (93.44%) still needed the strengthened rehabilitation treatment. At the corresponding period, among the 66 victims in the West China Hospital, one victim (1.52%) was recovered with self-care ability of daily living, and the other 65 (98.48%) still needed the strengthened rehabilitation treatment. Conclusion Early rehabilitation treatment such as active exercise, elevating injured limbs, physical therapy, turning over at regular time, and psychological intervention can help the earthquake victims to return to home and society early.
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.
Lu-shan earthquake occurred at 8:02 am, on April 20th, 2013. The epicenter of earthquake was located in Lu-shan county, Ya’an city, Sichuan province, about 100 km from Chengdu along the Longmenshan fault zone in the same province heavily impacted by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. The earthquake has resulted in 196 people dead, 24 missing, at least 11,470 injured as of 14:30, April 24th, 2013. After Lu-shan earthquake, medical rescue teams were dispatched from the West China Hospital, Sichuan University to the stricken area. This article written by a member of the rescue team reported the difficult and dangerous rescue work and the performance of rescue members in the stricken area.
Objective To collect the clinical data of victims with traumatic brain injury (TBI) admitted in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University within 2 weeks after 4.20 Lushan earthquake, and to analyze their clinical characteristics and effects of early rehabilitation, so as to provide baseline data for rescue TBI victims with the early rehabilitation treatment during emergency medical rescue. Methods A total of 392 victims admitted in the hospital from April 20th, 2013 to May 3rd, 2013 were screened, of which the TBI victims were clinically assessed and treated with early rehabilitation. Then both the activities of daily living (ADL) and the Rancho Los Amigos Cognitive Recovery Scale (RLA) before and after the treatment were analyzed. The data were input by Excel software, and the statistical analysis was performed by SPSS softwar. Results A total of 51 TBI victims at age from 3 to 84 years old were included finally. The categories of TBI included subarachnoid hemorrhage (41.2%), intracranial hematoma (33.3%) and mixed type (33.3%), and the severity were associated with the type of TBI. The GCS score of cerebral concussion was higher (13.25 ± 0.62) while that of the diffuse axonal injury was lower (4.50 ± 0.71). All victims (100%) had limited ADL, 74.51% had cognitive dysfunction, 9.80% had speech disorder, and 7.84% had dysphagia. After the early rehabilitation treatment, both ADL (before treatment: 34.82 ± 58.29, after treatment: 69.63 ± 22.29) and RLA (pre-treatment: 4.16 ± 1.24, treatment: 7.20 ± 1.69) were obviously higher than those before treatment, with statistical differences (both P lt;0.05). Conclusion The TBI categories of Lushan earthquake victims are various and mixed, and the severity associated with the type of TBI. All TBI victims are accompanied with more clinical problems and functional limitation. Early rehabilitation treatment is safe and effective to improve ADL and RLA as well.
Objective To explore the allocation of necessary living goods for the emergency medical rescue teams at Lushan earthquake sites. Methods The living goods requirements of 59 emergency medical rescue members at Lushan earthquake sites were investigated using a questionnaire and then analyzed, in order to provide references for the allocation of necessary living goods for emergency medical rescue teams in future. Results The top five necessary living goods for emergency medical rescue members at earthquake sites were food, drinking water, toilet, communication product, and bedclothe. The needs of bath of the members who stayed longer than 3 days were more than the members who stayed shorter than 3 days, with a significant difference (Plt;0.05). The number of living goods that female members need were more than that male members need (Plt;0.05). Conclusion For improving the work efficiency and quality of life, emergency medical rescue teams need to be equipped with not only the medical supplies, but also necessary living goods based on the length of stay and the ratio between male and female.
Objective To evaluate the performance of emergency medical rescue (EMR) within 1 month after Lushan earthquake, and to prove and enrich the experience from Wenchuan earthquake, so as to provide useful references for global earthquake EMR with regard to decreasing death and disability rates. Methods All the following date published within 1 month after 4.20 Lushan earthquake were collected and analyzed, including official information, public documents, news release, relevant information from websites and victims’ medical records in the West China Hospital, then the relevant domestic and foreign literature about EMR (including EMR of Wenchuan earthquake). And then comparative analysis was conducted to evaluate the performance of EMR in Lushan earthquake. Results a) Being 87 km apart from each other, the main seismic zones of Lushan and Wenchuan located in the south west and middle north of Longmenshan fault zone, respectively. Although only 1 earthquake magnitude differed between them, the disaster area, and the number of affected population, deaths, disappearances, injured, severe injured and migration population in Wenchuan earthquake were 40, 23, 353, 853, 27, 14 and 51 times higher than those in Lushan earthquake, respectively. b) Learned from Wenchuan experience, the manpower scheduling in Lushan earthquake was quicker: the assembled medical personnel peak of Lushan vs. Wenchuan was 87.62% vs. 56.06 % in golden 72 hours post-quake. c) Supplies scheduling was more rational: the utilization rate was higher under the guidance of accurate information of demand. d) Medical treatment was more rational and efficient: the critical injured were treated following “Four concentration treatment principles”; saving life and restoring function at the same time; treatment and physical-mental rehabilitation at the same time; treatment and evidence production and implementation at the same time. e) Medical institutions and service returned to normal in time: 96.7% (440/455) of government owned township medical institutions in 21 affected towns returned to normal and provided medical services at their original sites. Conclusion By learning form Wenchuan experience, the following performance is implemented in Lushan earthquake: medical rescue guided by the accurate information; supplies scheduling guided by the accurate demand; both critical injured treatment,and physical-mental rehabilitation guided by the accurate assessment of injuries. So the medical rescue within 1 month after Lushan earthquake is quicker, more rational and efficient. After 20 days post quake zero death of critical injured was achieved. The early physical-mental rehabilitation fastens the functional reconstruction of the injured and helps them return to the society. So it suggests that the Lushan EMR enriches and develops the reference value of EMR experience of Wenchuan earthquake.
Baoxing airborne medical team of West China Hospital participated in the medical rescue in 2013 “4?20”Lushan earthquake. The medical team excellently fulfilled their rescue task for 1 week in the earthquake-struck areas where there was power and communication failure and lack of water and food supply. We found some experiences and problems in airbornemedical team assembly and member selection, which may provide quotable experiences for future disaster assistance and rescue teams.