EXERCISE AZM-E-NAU-3, THE LABORATORY PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Objective: To describe the adequacy of laboratory equipment and human resource for dealing one thousand war wounded casualties.
Study Design: A descriptive study.
Place and Duration of Study: Combined Military Hospital Bahawalpur, from 10th April to 19th April 2010. Material and Methods: Two teams each headed by a qualified pathologist worked round the clock in twelve hour shift dealing with the samples of war wounded (WW) casualties along with routine indoor /outdoor workload. Receipt of samples, analysis, reporting, record keeping, blood donation and transfusion were according to the protocol following turn around time (TAT).
Results: A total of 5487 analyses were done in a period of ten days. All range of investigations were requested but blood complete picture (CP) constituted the maximum (33.9%) followed by hepatitis screening (22.7%) and biochemical profiles (17%). Other investigations were in connection with the preparation of the patients for surgery. A total of 101 pints of blood were issued during the course of exercise, with maximum on the 16th April 2010 constituting 20.7% of total. Maximum number of pints of blood issued to any single WW casualty was five
amounting to 4.9% of the total.
Conclusion: CMH Bahawalpur pathology laboratory successfully managed the load of 1000 WW casualties by providing prompt laboratory support for treatment, by timely delivery of requisite results of investigations and blood transfusion.