This article introduces the measures that the scientific research base of West China Hospital has taken in its emergent response to the unexpected huge Wenchuan earthquake disaster, including safe evacuation, safety examination and removal of hidden dangers, damage reporting and a series of subsequent measures.
ObjectiveTo carry out an investigation on the life quality of amputees in the “5·12” Wenchuan earthquake before and after rehabilitation of one year (short term), three year (intermediate term) and five year (long term) and find out the best program of recovery. MethodsIn September 2008, 52 patients who were treated in the higher-level hospital and came back to the Second People’s Hospital of Mianzhu City for rehabilitation were divided into two groups: group A and B with 26 patients in each. Phased rehabilitation program was adopted for group A while traditional program was chosen for patients in group B. “The Personal Information Table of Amputees of Deyang City” and The Life Quality Measurement Table of World Health Organization were chosen as the research tools before the program and one year, three years and five years after the program. ResultScores of the life quality of both groups showed a general rising tendency, while group A was higher than group B in each single phase, especially in the longterm one. For positive feeling, group A got a score of 193.0±12.3 and group B got 126.0±11.2; for ability to work, group A had a score of 62.0±5.2 and group B had 41.0±2.3; for life satisfaction, group A achieved 150.0±2.1 and group B achieved 101.0±6.2; for ability of action, the score of group A was 17.0±2.6 and group B was 11.0±5.2. The differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05) . ConclusionCompared with conventional rehabilitation program, phased rehabilitation program can better enhance and consolidate the amputees’ quality of life and promote their returning to family and society, which can make up for the deficiency of the existing rehabilitation programs and is worth popularization and application.
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 retrospectively the overall situation of medical rescue in the Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu after the Wenchuan earthquake, so as to provide references for the emergency preparedness for the disaster of earthquake. Methods The analysis was based on the data provided by the Department of Information, the Medical Record Library, the Department of Emergency, the Department of Orthopaedics and other related departments of the Hospital up to 8 a.m. of July 12. The software of Microsoft EXCEL was used for data input, and SPSS 11.5 was used for statistical analysis. Results Up to July 12, 563 cases from the disaster area had been treated in the hospital, of whom 249 were admitted into the outpatient department and 314 into the inpatient department, including 287 men and 276 women, with a median age of 42 years (28, 57) in the outpatient department and a median age of 46 years (33, 65) in the inpatient department. The inpatients’ age was older than the outpatients’s (P=0.003). Most outpatients were sent to the hospital within the first 3 days after the quake (73.50%), while less than half of the inpatients were sent to the hospital during this period of time. The wounded were mainly from Dujiangyan, Aba Prefecture and Pengzhou, which was correlated with the transportation distance, the casualty and the condition of the local hospitals. The wounded were mainly admitted into the Departments of Orthopaedics (69.3%), Neurosurgery (15.6%) and General Surgery (3.7%). The total cost in the Department of Orthopaedics was the highest, followed by the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the Department of Neurosurgery. However, the median cost in the ICU was the highest, followed by the Department of Neurosurgery and the Department of Nephrology. Only 9 out of the 563 patients died, including 5 outpatients and 4 inpatients, of whom 8 deaths were due to craniocerebral injury and 1 died of crush syndrome. Conclusion Based on the data, it is of vital importance to develop an emergent plan for the medical rescue after an earthquake disaster, and to strengthen the reserve of medical supplies, personnel training, scientific field triage as well as the construction of information platforms.
Objective? To investigate the dysfunction information of children suffering from Wenchuan earthquake and analyze their rehabilitation requirements. Methods A survey of rehabil itation requirements of 87 children with earthquake injuries was performed using self-made questionnaires. Results Among the 87 children investigated, 64.4% suffered from restricted joint range of motion, 95.4% had abnormal sensory (pain occupying 89.7%). Conclusion The earl ier the patients received the rehabilitation therapy, the better for them to recover functions, improve activity ability in daily life and promote participation ability.
Objective To systematically analyze and compare the casualties’ medical evacuation (ME) in Wenchuan and Yushu earthquakes, so as to provide useful references for earthquake casualties’ ME in the future. Methods The data about casualties’ ME in Wenchuan and Yushu earthquakes were collected from the field research, work statement of the Ministry of Health, official websites, and literatures. And the descriptive analysis was then performed. Results From Wenchuan to Yushu, the principle of ME tended to be “early evacuation, all evacuation”; the evacuation level was gradually simplified, the casualties were evacuated directly from the disaster area to the rear hospital through highway and railway, or air evacuation became the major method of ME; triage became less prominent, while specialist treatment was strived as early as possible. Conclusion The early establishment of appropriate evacuation principles, building of a simplified evacuation system, ensuring adequate medical transport capacity, and scientific assessment of treatment capacity at all levels are the main issues of effective and safe ME after earthquakes that require to be solved urgently.
After 5•12 When Chuan earthquake,The third hospital of Mianyang which is the nearest hospital of severely afflicted area recived 1 804 wounded persons.We aimed to summarize the achievement and limitation in management of medical rescue, medical treatment of the wounded and logistical support. Hospital shouled set up a special medical rescue system to relieve the sufferings of victims of unexpected natural calamities which include staff training, reserve supplies,psychological intervention of the wounded and safeguard of the rescuers.
During the medical rescue of Wenchuan earthquake, West China Hospital immediately shifted to the two-track emergent system mode. More works have been done in time to cure and treat those critically ill patients effectively and to protect the medical safety of patients. The Activated Contingency Plans for major disasters have been started up to evacuate safely those mild patients in the hospital,to prevent out of danger and other accidents. More works have done on the identification of the injured or patients to improve the accuracy and strictly implement the "three investigations and seven right" system to prevent a wrong operation, or a wrong prescription, or a wrong transfusion. We have worked carefully on the referral the wounded, to referr the wounded to those Hospitals in Chengdu or other province and to prevent security incidents.
Objective To analyze the performance of epidemic prevention in Sichuan Province after Wenchuan earthquake, so as to provide references for future epidemic prevention when such emergencies occur. Methods Data about the relief work after the Wenchuan earthquake were collected from the archives of medical care assurance group of the anti-seismic and disaster relief headquarter. And then the data were classified and analyzed. Results After the Wenchuan earthquake, the strategies of epidemic prevention included emphasis on both epidemic prevention and medical relief, early implementation of hygienic measures, wide coverage of different measures for disease prevention with focuses on the most important diseases, as well as standardization and long lasting of epidemic prevention efforts. Owing to these strategies, the epidemic prevention in Sichuan Province was conducted vigorously, orderly and effectively. Conclusion The post-quake epidemic prevention strategies in Sichuan Province are accurate and effective, which could be recommended when such emergencies occur in the future.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the quality of life of residents in stricken area five years after Wenchuan earthquake, so as to explore the main influential factors such as gender, age, ethnic group, marriage status and the extent affected by the earthquake. MethodsUsing WHOQOL-BREF, 500 residents from Hanyuan county in Sichuan province were assessed in order to analyze their life quality and related factors. ResultsThe score on the overall WHOQOL-BREF and the level of each factor were significantly lower than the score on the normal people (P < 0.001). Male score in the factor of social relations significantly higher than female (t=3.963, P < 0.001). The overall score and the score of social factor were significantly lower in the minor than in the adults (t=-2.667, P < 0.01; t=-19.287, P < 0.001). And the quality score of social relationship was significantly lower in the single than in the married and cohabiting couples (P < 0.001; P < 0.01). ConclusionThe quality of life of residents in stricken area five years after Wenchuan earthquake was significantly lower than the national norm. There are significant differences in terms of gender, age, marriage status and earthquake damage on social relations. Steady intimate relationships with others help improve the quality of life of residents in stricken area. Besides, compared those with average damage or no damage, the residents with serious damage are relatively worse in the overall quality of life as well as environmental conditions.