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Earthquakes and Trauma: Review of Triage and Injury-Specific, Immediate Care

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Oliver P. Gautschi ,
Dieter Cadosch ,
Gunesh Rajan  and
René Zellweger
Oliver P. Gautschi*
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosurgery, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia
Dieter Cadosch
Affiliation:
Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia
Gunesh Rajan
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Fremantle Hospital, Western, Australia
René Zellweger
Affiliation:
Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia
*
Department of Neurosurgery Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, Rorschacher Strasse 95 9007 St. Gallen, Switzerland E-mail: ogautschi@datacomm.ch
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Abstract

Earthquakes present a major threat to mankind. Increasing knowledge about geophysical interactions, progressing architectural technology, and improved disaster management algorithms have rendered modern populations less susceptible to earthquakes. Nevertheless, the mass casualties resulting from earthquakes in Great Kanto (Japan), Ancash (Peru), Tangshan (China), Guatemala, Armenia, and Izmit (Turkey) or the recent earthquakes in Bhuj (India), Bam (Iran), Sumatra (Indonesia) and Kashmir (Pakistan) indicate the devastating effect earthquakes can have on both individual and population health. Appropriate preparation and implementation of crisis management algorithms are of utmost importance to ensure a large-scale medical-aid response is readily available following a devastating event. In particular, efficient triage is vital to optimize the use of limited medical resources and to effectively mobilize these resources so as to maximize patient salvage. However, the main priorities of disaster rescue teams are the rescue and provision of emergency care for physical trauma. Furthermore, the establishment of transport evacuation corridors, a feature often neglected, is essential in order to provide the casualties with a chance for survival. The optimal management of victims under such settings is discussed, addressing injuries of the body and psyche by means of simple diagnostic and therapeutic procedures globally applicable and available.

Keywords

crisis managementdisaster reliefearthquakeimmediate caremass casualtymass fatalitytraumatriage
Type
Comprehensive Review
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 23 , Issue 2 , April 2008 , pp. 195 - 201
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2008

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