The Wenchuan Earthquake caused severe injuries and deaths as well as subsequent serious potential risks to public health and hygiene in the worst-hit areas. There were 16 casualties in the Mianyang CDC system and the township amp; county CDC networks were destroyed in the worst-hit counties after the earthquake. The Mianyang CDC quickly launched its emergency response plan for major natural disasters within two hours after the earthquake, prepared and improved the technical guide for disease prevention after the earthquake and rapidly sent out quick response team. With the help of CDC aid teams across the country, Mianyang CDC successfully disinfected and buried 6,767,568 corpses, and disposed of millions of animal carcasses.They also disinfected and sterilised an area of 932.595 million square metres, eradicating 3,514,166 fly and mosquito breeding places and treating 5,254,228 cesspit times. By June 30, they had examined 11,092 water supply units and carried out disinfection of 319.7997 million cubic metres of drinking water. Besides, dynamic monitoring for water quality in the four worst-hit areas in Mianyang urban areas. They organised hygienic enforcement supervisors to develop food safety inspection, regulated catering services of the centralised settlements, destroyed spoiled and expired food and vegetables. The authorities prevented the masses from eating dead poultry or meat from carcasses to ensure no occurrence of food poisoning after the earthquake. Standard administration of the 170 settlements of the earthquake-afflicted people and 132 settlements of evacuated people was carried out in accordance with the rules of "Six Provisions and Four Reinforcements" and this would ensure no recurrence of public health events in the settlements. On Day 3 (May 15) after the earthquake, they established a real-time monitoring and report network of the epidemic situation after the earthquake and monitored diseases and symptoms of the people in the resettled region to ensure no occurrence of major epidemic cases. The monitoring results showed that the number of infectious disease cases was comparable to that in the previous years. Moreover, they carried out intensive vaccination with hepatitis A vaccine in children 41196 person times, stored 100,000 person oral cholera vaccine and monitoring for new sexually transmitted diseases. A total of 10.1265 million copies of publicity materials were organised printed and distributed. They developed large-scale health education and a massive patriotic health campaign by means of the media and organised the masses to engage in sanitation and hygiene as well as controlling flies, mosquitoes and rats in the temporary earthquake-proof places. Under the unified command of the Mianyang emergency response headquarters, the centers for health and epidemic control and prevention at various levels of disaster relief continued to dispose of carcasses and disinfect and bury corpses as well as monitor water quality, so as to ensure the secondary disasters could be prevented in advance.
To investigate the method of using vacuum seal ing drainage (VSD) technique to repair the wound of the injured in Wenchuan earthquake and its therapeutic effect. Methods From May 12, 2008 to June 12, 2008, 52 injured persons (83 wounds) were treated, including 27 males and 25 females aged 11-83 years old (average 42 years old). There were 22 cases of crush injury, 9 cases of contusion and laceration injury, 17 cases of compression injury receiving incision decompression of fascia compartment and 4 cases of open amputation. And 37 wounds were on the leg, 13 woundson the thigh, 17 wounds on the forearm, 11 wounds on the upper arm and 5 wounds on the trunk. The wound ranged from3 cm × 2 cm to 30 cm × 15 cm, and the time from injury to undergoing VSD treatment was 12 hours-18 days. After complete debridement, the wound was covered by VSD dressing, and antibiotics were given according to the result of drug sensitive test. When wound infection was under control and granulation tissues grew well, the method of either direct suture or skin grafting or flap transposition was used to repair the wounds. Results In 21 cases (40.4%), wound secretion smear was positive, and multiple species of bacteria were detected, such as staphylococcus aureus, escherichia col i, proteus and klebsiella pneumoniae. After initial operation, 7 injured persons were transferred to the hospital outside of Sichuan province for further treatment. VSD treatment was performed on 33 cases (45 wounds) once, 6 cases (10 wounds) twice, 2 cases (3 wounds) three times and 1 case (1 wound) four times, resulting in the control of wound infection and the growth of granulation tissue. Then the wounds were repaired by either direct suture or skin grafting or flap transposition. Three cases (4 wounds) underwent VSD treatment ten times, leading to the control of infection and the stabil ity of condition. Conclusion VSD treatment can cover the wound promptly, el iminate contamination, prevent secondary infection and benefit late-stage wound repair. During the process of treatment, no medical necessity for frequent change of dressing can rel ieve the pain suffered by the injured and decrease theworkload of medical stuff, thus facil itating the rescue work.
Objective To retrospectively analyze medical treatment during the Wenchuan earthquake and evaluate emergency medical work. Methods On the basis of the data reported to the provincial disaster relief headquarter by cities and counties around Sichuan province, we established a database for data processing by using SPSS 11.0. And descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Results The emergency response of Sichuan health system was quick, effective and well-organized. Conclusion In the face of extraordinary disaster, Sichuan province satisfactorily completed its work on emergency medical treatment despite the unimaginable enormous workload and difficulty, and achieved an initial success on earthquake relief.
Shortly after Wenchuan earthquake, the leader group of the West China Second Hospital accurately defined the role of the hospital during the medical rescue work and ensured the safety of the inpatients. It cooperated with West China Hospital, going to the main battlefield to rescue the injured people, congregating the main medical resources to the disaster areas for medical rescue. The model of the hospital was immediately transformed from the regular state into a double-track emergent state. Scientific allocation and dispatch of the resources were ensured to meet the ever-changing demands from all levels of rescue work. Assembling the elite, 12 medical teams and 148 medical staff in all were dispatched to Beichuan, Mianyang, Shifang and Dujiangyan as well as other severe disaster areas. Up to June 2nd, 329 patients from the disaster area had been treated, of whom 132 were admitted into the inpatient department, no one died. Moreover, even during such a period of time, the routine medical service had been offered as regular to patients other than the wounded in the disaster.
Objective To analyze the outcome of patients with Blunt Abdominal Injury (BAI) in the Deyang People’s Hospital after the Wenchuan Earthquake, in order to provide evidence for future improvement in emergency response after earthquakes and in the treatment of BAI patients. Methods Data on the BAI patients within 1 week after the earthquake were collected from the Information Department of the Hospital. Microsoft EXCEL was used for data input. Results A total of 23 BAI inpatients were treated, of whom 15 were from Mianzhu City and sent to hospital within 12 hours of the earthquake. This was 1.9% of the total inpatients. The BAI inpatients suffered severe and complex injuries, and 5 of them died (mortality rate: 22%). Linenectomy was conducted for patients with spleen injuries and two inpatients developed incision infection due to lack of antibiotics during the perioperative period. Conclusions It is important to establish an emergency response mechanism for medical rescue for patients with the viscera injury, including BAI, after an earthquake. This would help to guarantee rational allocation of the rescue workers, triage of the wounded, optimization of operation, as well as a reduction in mortality from BAI.
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.
Objective To investigate the recovery status of people wounded in the Wenchuan earthquake. Method Data were retrospectively collected from administrative documents in the Bureau of Medical Affairs, Sichuan Provincial Health Department. The severity of injury was assessed by Injury Severity Score (ISS). The data were recorded by EXCEL software and descriptive analysis was conducted. Results Our analysis results of rehabilitation treatment through Feb. 5, 2009 shows that 27,080 of the 28,008 patients had been treated and discharged, for a discharge rate of 97.8%. There were 928 patients still in hospitals at that time, including 55 cases of traumatic brain injury, 163 cases of paraplegia, 260 amputees, and 449 cases of severe spine, pelvis and other fractures. Some amputees needed to receive replacement of artificial limbs or stump dressing operation and rehabilitation; most patients who were installed internal fixation needed to removal and post-rehabilitation. Conclusions The effectiveness of rehabilitation is significant. Our work in the next stage should focus on (1) continuing to improve the establishment of province’s rehabilitation capabilities and increasing capital investment; (2) enhancing training for medical rehabilitation practitioners in order to improve operational standards and service capabilities; (3) developing the wounded rehabilitation standards in later stages, conducting follow-up and functional training in order to maximize recovery and return to society; (4) increasing employment opportunities for disabled persons.
Objective To retrospectively analyze and classify 23 open fractures that resulted in severe infection, in order to provide evidence that can be used in future disaster scenarios. Methods Based on medical records of 23 cases of open fracture and subsequent bacterial infection, we analyzed the clinical diagnosis, treatment, laboratory tests, bacterial smear of wound secretion, and the bacterial culture of the wound secretion. We then analyzed which antimicrobial agents were used and how they were applied, and the subsequent effect on controlling the serious infection.? Results All cases were related to seismic injury and belonged to class VI open fracture. Eight cases were male and 15 were female. All cases had similar symptoms such as chills, fever, large scale muscle necrosis, and severe infection. A direct smear of the wound showed that the number of cases with one bacterial infection was 6 (26.09%), the number that had double bacterial infections was 12 (52.18%), and the number with multiple bacterial infections was 5 (21.74%).There were 18 strains of 11 types of bacteria recovered from wound samples. Conclusion Early treatment with the joint application of multiple antibacterial agents, early debridement, and adequate drainage all helped to control the infection and avoid nosocomial infection. Employing these strategies in the future will control infection in disaster situations.
In the rescue that follows a major natural disaster, blood donation is a unique, necessary method to assist the injured. To achieve effective assurance of the blood supply for medical rescue in an orderly fashion, the current procedure must be adjusted by using scientific prediction, analysis, and adaptation. After the process of ensuring the blood supply for medical rescue during the Wenchuan Earthquake, the Ministry of Health of China, with great efforts, continues to investigate and reflect upon the application of the above principals during actual practice. Objectively, these efforts will lead to better results and establish a standard supplying blood during a disaster rescue.
After Wenchuan earthquake, the West China Second University Hospital immediately started the preparation of emergency pharmaceutical administration. The pharmaceutical department effectively controlled the provision, purchasing, utilization and donation of medications through a double-track operation system. In this way, the medication supply was ensured for both the patients suffering from the disaster and routine patients, which guaranteed the rationality in medication and promoted the utilization of the donated drugs so that more than 80 000 drug cost was saved for the hospital.