Objective To understand the situation and technical level of aeromedical rescue in medical institutions in Qinling-Daba mountainous area. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted on the staff of medical institutions of the medical consortium of Renmin Hospital of Hubei University of Medicine, located in Qinling-Daba mountainous area between June and September 2023. The basic information and development, demand, and knowledge mastery of aeromedical rescue were investigated. Results A total of 45 medical institutions participated in the research, 500 questionnaires were sent out, and 479 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective rate of 95.8%. Among them, there were 7 tertiary hospitals, 23 secondary hospitals, and 15 township health institutions; 11 medical institutions had participated in aeromedical rescue, and 17 hospitals had participated in aerial rescue drills. The survey subjects were mainly from emergency departments and intensive care medicine departments, women, aged>30 and ≤40 years old, undergraduate students, intermediate professional titles, and doctors. Twenty-one medical workers had received formal training in aeromedical rescue skills, 77 had received short-term theoretical and practical training, 123 had participated in short-term simulation exercises, and 93 had participated in aeromedical rescue activities. There was a statistically significant difference among the scores of first aid knowledge, aviation flight knowledge, and aeromedical rescue knowledge (9.34±0.35 vs. 4.65±2.91 vs. 3.28±3.44; F=15.048, P=0.001). There were statistically significant differences between first aid knowledge and aviation flight knowledge, as well as between first aid knowledge and aeromedical rescue knowledge (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between aviation flight knowledge and aeromedical medical rescue knowledge (P>0.05). Conclusion There is an urgent demand for aviation rescue in medical institutions in Qinling-Daba mountainous area, and there is a shortage of professionals, so it is necessary to strengthen the training, rehearsal and practice of aeromedical rescue.
Earthquakes happened frequently and caused a lot of injuries and serious economic loss, which destroyed the ecological environment and challenged the ability and speed in human rescue, treatment, epidemic, and post-disaster reconstruction. This paper compared the medical rescue between Yushu earthquake and Wenchuan earthquake in order to summarize the experience, form the standard, and provide references for decision-making.
Objective To examine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression for medical staffs who took part in rescue in the disaster area after Wenchuan Earthquake. Methods According to purpose sampling method, from June 12th to June 18th, we investigated the medical staffs in eight areas, and the total number was 500. The eight areas included Mianzhu, Deyang, Shifang, Chengdu, Mianyang, Pengzhou, Zitong, and Anxian. The survey tools were PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). After collecting all questionnaires, we divided 500 medical staffs into 2 groups, according to the fact whether the rescue was carried out in the disaster area or not. Results A total of 500 questionnaires were given to the subjects, of which 481 effective ones were collected, and the effective rate was about 96.2%. In addition, the prevalence of PTSD for overall was 23.3%, anxiety was 21.6%, depression was 49.9%, and the anxiety plus depression was 19.54%. At the same time, we found out the averages of PCL-C (48.29±29.90 vs. 34.76±18.03), PCL-C frequency (16.27±15.14 vs. 9.99±10.25), PCL-C severity (32.03±15.26 vs. 24.85±8.60), SAS primitive (37.39±10.35 vs. 32.22±7.61), SAS standard (46.73±12.94 vs. 40.27±9.51), SDS primitive (42.00±8.32 vs. 37.99±9.63), and SDS standard (52.50±10.39 vs. 47.48±11.92) were different. The medical staffs in the disaster area were under more severe conditions, and there were significant differences between the 2 groups. The prevalence of PTSD (28.52% vs. 16.59), anxiety (28.89% vs. 12.32%), depression (58.15% vs. 39.34%), and anxiety plus depression (26.67% vs. 10.43%) between the 2 groups was significantly different, and the disaster area was under severe conditions. Additionally, the prevalences at three levels within SAS and SDS were much higher in the disaster area. There were also significant differences. Conclusion The prevalences of PTSD, SAS, and SDS within medical staffs who took part in rescue in the disaster area after Wenchuan Earthquake are higher than in the non-disaster area. Therefore, we should work out mental intervention and rehabilitation project for medical staffs, especially those who took part in rescue in the disaster area. Finally, the medical staffs’ ability to copy with stress can be improved.
Earthquake emergency medical rescue evidence-based decision-making is a typical case of real-world evidence deriving from real-world data, conducting real-world research, and producing real-world evidence for solving real-world problems. This article focuses on the use of evidence-based science in the real-world through a problem-oriented, evidence-based decision making way, as well as transferring of results to practice and continuing outcome evaluation.
Objective To explore the allocation of necessary living goods for the emergency medical rescue teams at Lushan earthquake sites. Methods The living goods requirements of 59 emergency medical rescue members at Lushan earthquake sites were investigated using a questionnaire and then analyzed, in order to provide references for the allocation of necessary living goods for emergency medical rescue teams in future. Results The top five necessary living goods for emergency medical rescue members at earthquake sites were food, drinking water, toilet, communication product, and bedclothe. The needs of bath of the members who stayed longer than 3 days were more than the members who stayed shorter than 3 days, with a significant difference (Plt;0.05). The number of living goods that female members need were more than that male members need (Plt;0.05). Conclusion For improving the work efficiency and quality of life, emergency medical rescue teams need to be equipped with not only the medical supplies, but also necessary living goods based on the length of stay and the ratio between male and female.
During the medical rescue after Wenchuan earthquake, the Department of Appliances and Materials of West China Hospital took prompt action to ensure the regular operation of hospital devices and facilities. Meanwhile, owing to its specialized superiority of material and appliance purchase as well as the optimized processes for material and appliance supply, the hospital ensured the effective supply of disaster relief materials and efficiently managed the consumption of donated materials. From May 12 to 30, a total of 2 200 000 pieces of medical materials (total value RMB 3 770 000 Yuan) and 220 sets of medical appliance (total value RMB 9 000 000 Yuan) were purchased as part of the immediate medical rescue response to the earthquake.
Objective To analyze the injury and dysfunction as well as the rehabilitation status and demand of the 188 Lushan earthquake victims admitted in the hospitals in and around Ya’an city and the West China Hospital of Sichuan University, so as to provide guidance for the rehabilitation work in the following step. Methods By means of the onsite investigation, 122 victims admitted in 7 hospitals and 2 health centers in and around Ya’an city within 1-9 days after Lushan earthquake, and the other 66 victims treated in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University were analyzed. Results The injury categorization of 122 victims in and around Ya’an city was as follows: upper limb fracture (12.30%), lower limb fracture (42.62%), spine fracture (16.39%) (25.00% treated by surgery and 75.00% treated by non-surgery treatment), pelvis fracture (1.64%), rib fracture (4.10%), traumatic brain injury (10.66%), soft tissue contusion (8.20%), and others (4.09%). At the corresponding period, the injury categorization of 66 victims treated in the department of rehabilitation medicine of the West China Hospital of Sichuan University was as follows: fracture (77.27%), traumatic brain injury (3.03%), spinal cord injury (4.55%), and others, including soft tissue injury (15.15%). At the ninth day after earthquake, among the 122 victims in and around Ya’an city, 8 victims (6.56%) were recovered with self-care ability of daily living, and the other 144 (93.44%) still needed the strengthened rehabilitation treatment. At the corresponding period, among the 66 victims in the West China Hospital, one victim (1.52%) was recovered with self-care ability of daily living, and the other 65 (98.48%) still needed the strengthened rehabilitation treatment. Conclusion Early rehabilitation treatment such as active exercise, elevating injured limbs, physical therapy, turning over at regular time, and psychological intervention can help the earthquake victims to return to home and society early.
Objective We evaluated effectiveness and performance of medical rescue after Lushan earthquake during 2 weeks, and enriched Wenchuan lessons to provide useful references for emergency medical rescue (EMR) after similar earthquake worldwide. Methods We collected and analyzed official information, public documents, news release, and relevant information from websites, and then we systematically reviewed and descriptively analyzed all included literature of EMR after earthquake (domestic and foreign). Results Learned from Wenchuan earthquake, EMR for Lushan earthquake were characterized as: a) Assess the situations of quake damage and injuries were scientifically assessed; human resources, funds and materials were reasonably distributed; and the EMR relied mainly on regional rescue power of Sichuan province. b) Patients’ with critical injuries were treated using “Four concentration treatment principles”, which resulted in a new medical record of zero death, 14 days after the earthquake. c) The experience of EMR after Lushan earthquake verified, enriched and improved lessons from Wenchuan, Yushu and Yiliang earthquake, which provided first-hand references of evidence-based decision making for earthquake EMR worldwide.
Shortly after the disastrous Wenchuan earthquake, a harmonious working environment for healthcare professionals both at home and abroad has been formed in West China Hospital, under an integrated managerial framework and working model. Four foreign medical teams consisting of over 70 professionals and foreign medical materials weighing about 8 tons have been accepted. This model may provide references for the reception of foreign medical teams during the emergent medical rescue for any unexpected event in the future.
A 7.0 Ms earthquake hit Lushan country at Ya’an city of Sichuan province at 8:02 am, on April 20th, 2013. Rehabilitation medicine department of the West China Hospital, a regional state-level hospital arrived at stricken area, and super early rehabilitation rescue was organized at the second day after Lushan earthquake. On the third day after Lushan earthquake, patients receiving super early rehabilitation intervention were moved forward to orthopedics, neurosurgery, thoracic surgery, pediatric surgery and ICU for super early rehabilitation intervention. Up to 6 pm, 14 days after the earthquake, 69 wounded in total were admitted in early rehabilitation. The experiences of Wenchuan earthquake has been applied, improved and sublimated more rapidly, more appropriately, more effectively in the Lushan earthquake rehabilitation rescue.
