EARTHQUAKE 2005: EXPERIENCE WITH MASS CASUALTIES AT MILITARY HOSPITAL, RAWALPINDI

Earthquake 2005

Abstract

Objective: A massive earthquake struck North of Pakistan on 8th October 2005. The objective of this study was to evaluate the type of injuries and procedures carried out on the admitted casualties.
Study Design: Descriptive study.
Place and Duration of Study: Military Hospital, Rawalpindi from 8 Oct to 7 Dec 2006.
Patients and Methods: All the causalities were received at the emergency department. All the patients who needed admission for treatment were included. Patients who had minor injuries not requiring indoor treatment and those, brought in dead, were excluded from this study. The files of admitted patients were analyzed for type of injuries, procedures carried out, complications and causes of death. The data was entered in a computer, and results presented in tabular form in numbers and percentages.
Results: The total number of patients received was 1698, out of which 862 (50.8%) were admitted. Within the first three months 651(75.5%) cases were discharged after full treatment. A total of 2268 operations were performed. Out of these, 1025 (45.2%) were major surgeries. 323 (31.5%) plastic surgery procedures, needing colostomies 230 (22.4%) orthopaedic operations, 21(2.0%) patients underwent spinal surgery for blunt abdominal injuries 14 (1.6%) and laparotomies were done with 4 (0.4%). Sixteen (1.5%) amputations had to be done. Seveteen (2%) patients died in the hospital during admission, while 76 were brought in dead.