The injuries caused by earthquake were characterized as complicated injuries, multiple injuries, crush injury, commonly accompanied by the impairment of the organs, open wound with susceptibility to contamination, difficulties in the implementation of in-time treatment, and resource-limited settings. Considering the specialty of early treatment of earthquake victims and existing misconduct, we propose recommendations according to general principles of early rationale use of antibiotics, in order to treat the earthquake victims safely, effectively and feasibly, and to decrease wound infection rates after surgery.
ObjectiveTo analyze the cases of surgical wounded characteristics after Lushan county 7.0 earthquake for government departments to formulate relevant policies to provide references for future decision-making. MethodsThe data of surgical wounded were collected from various hospitals in Sichuan province. Origin, operation time and the injured area were counted according to gender and operation time was counted according to origin. In the descriptive statistics the frequencies and proportions were used to describe categorical data and x±SD was used to describe quantitative data. SPSS 13.0 software was used to analyze the data. ResultsA total of 975 cases of surgical wounded included 586 cases of male (accounting for 60.10%) and 389 cases of female (accounting for 39.90%). The average age of the surgical wounded was 40.42±20.06 years. Ya'an city had completed the largest number of surgical cases. Medical institutions completed 53.85 percent of the surgery in the first three days, 41.03 percent of the surgery from four days to seven days after the earthquake. They completed 94.88 percent of surgery in one week after the earthquake. Ya'an city was the largest city in the number of surgical cases within 3 days after the earthquake. Medical institutions directly under the province and the Ministry of Health medical institutions in Sichuan were the largest medical institutions in number of surgical cases from four days to seven days after the earthquake. The largest number of cases was wounded ankle and foot injuries, followed by the abdomen, lower back, lumbar spine and pelvis injuries, once again the knee and calf injuries, and finally the head injury. ConclusionIn the face of natural disasters like earthquakes, the health care system should establish a reasonable and effective medical emergency response mechanisms and plans, and establish a scientific and rational triage mechanism. Multi-disciplines such as orthopedics and surgery should be ready ahead of first aid equipment and emergency medicine, so as to rationalize the allocation of medical resources, achieve maximum utilization of medical resources, reduce morbidity and mortality, and save surgical treatment time for more wounded.
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.
Within 4 weeks after Lushan earthquake, 400 person-times were rescued in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University. There were 325 hospitalized victims, 238 surgeries including 202 orthopedic surgeries, 28 critical victims, and 1 severe victim. In order to avoid and reduce the complications, minimize disability, and recover in the early stage, a set of early rehabilitation nursing process was established by the department of rehabilitation of the West China Hospital since the 28th hour after the earthquake: set up the emergency teams for early rehabilitation nursing, and clarify the responsibilities of each team; select the technicians of early rehabilitation nursing, and perform scientific management; build the information platform for early rehabilitation nursing, and make information unobstructed; strengthen the cooperation with professional and social organizations. This nursing mode helps the victims get rehabilitation care and treatment timely and efficiently. Up to the 4 weeks after earthquake, 178 person-times recover, accounted for 44.5%; and the records of 69 victims in Wenjiang branch of the hospital show zero death after orthopedic surgery.
In recent years，West China Hospital of Sichuan University actively participated in medical assistance and rescue in Wenchuan，Yushu and Lushan earthquakes. However，professional roles of cardiovascular surgeons in medical assistance and rescue in earthquakes remain unclear because of the particularity of cardiovascular surgery, which often affects the assembly of medical assistance and rescue teams. Thus，we need to explore the necessity for cardiovascular surgeons to join medical rescue teams within 72 hours after earthquake. In this article，medical rescue work of cardiovascular surgeons within 72 hours after 2008 “5•12” Wenchuan earthquake and 2013 “4•20” Lushan earthquake is analyzed and compared to identify professional roles of cardiovascular surgeons in medical rescue within 72 hours after earthquake. It is necessary for cardiovascular surgeons to join medical rescue teams within 72 hours after earthquake.
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 assess the public health impacts and needs, to evaluate performance of anti-epidemic efforts after Lushan earthquake, so as to provide references for the following anti-epidemic work. Methods The day of earthquake occurrence was defined as the first day after earthquake. We collected information and data from the Sichuan Provincial Government, the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People’s Republic of China, the Health Department of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and then we compared the situations of disaster, public health situation in stricken area, emergency response, resource deployment, etc. with those after Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, in order to evaluate the performance of anti-epidemic response during 2 weeks, clarify current situations and demands, and offer a proposal for the following work. Results Emergency response was conducted immediately after the Lushan earthquake. The counterpart assistance was considered at the beginning of team arrangement. The number and professional structure of rescue participants were planned according to needs. Three days after earthquake, anti-epidemic staff arrived at every involved county, town, and even village, which achieved full rescue coverage of locations and interventions. The staff helped reconstruct disease surveillance system, protect source of drinking water and environmental hygiene, etc., which resulted in progressive achievement. Two weeks after the earthquake there were no outbreak and public health emergency event occurred in stricken area. Conclusion The anti-epidemic efforts after Lushan earthquake inherit and develop the lessons from Wenchuan earthquake in 2008. Emergency response is timely, orderly, scientific, and moderate. The deployment of policies, technologies and resources has already been completed during two weeks. Anti-epidemic efforts achieve preliminary results. We suggest that key issues of further work should be the implementation of policies, strategies and measures, such as health management at relocation sites, water and food hygiene, disease monitoring, prevention and control, mass vaccination, scientific disinfection, and health education, in order to improve long-efficacy mechanism and stabilize work performance.
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 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.
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.