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Drop, Cover, and Hold On versus Fetal Position in the Triangle of Life to Survive in an Earthquake: A Delphi Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2023

Mustafa Ferudun Celikmen Open the ORCID record for Mustafa Ferudun Celikmen [Opens in a new window] ,
Sarper Yilmaz Open the ORCID record for Sarper Yilmaz [Opens in a new window] ,
Ali Cankut Tatliparmak Open the ORCID record for Ali Cankut Tatliparmak [Opens in a new window]  and
Figen Unal Colak Open the ORCID record for Figen Unal Colak [Opens in a new window]
Mustafa Ferudun Celikmen
Affiliation:
Assistant Professor, Yeditepe University Medical Faculty, Department of Emergency Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey; Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Yeditepe University Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey
Sarper Yilmaz*
Affiliation:
Associate Professor, University of Health Sciences, Department of Emergency Medicine, Kartal Dr. Lutfi Kirdar City Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
Ali Cankut Tatliparmak
Affiliation:
Emergency Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Kolan International Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
Figen Unal Colak
Affiliation:
Professor, Department of Communication Design and Management, Faculty of Communication Sciences, Anadolu University, Eskisehir, Turkey
*
Correspondence: Sarper Yilmaz, MD Department of Emergency Medicine University of Health Sciences Kartal Dr. Lutfi Kirdar City Hospital Kartal, Istanbul, Turkey E-mail: sarperyilmaz08@gmail.com
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Abstract

Objective:

This study aims to determine and compare the effectiveness of Drop, Cover, and Hold On versus Fetal Position in the Triangle of Life regarding reducing casualties during earthquakes and establishing a consensus among medical search and rescue experts.

Methods:

In this study, the data collected from ten experienced medical search and rescue professionals were analyzed using a three-stage Delphi technique to compare Drop, Cover, and Hold On versus Fetal Position in the Triangle of Life.

Results:

At the end of the first round of Delphi, all of the experts mentioned the following factors: age, position, and surface area of the injured person. A victim’s time under rubble and the experience of search and rescue teams are two prominent factors related to search and rescue. After the earthquake simulation in the second round, mannequin damage rates were examined by opening rubble pavement and tunnels. Following the second round of ratings, a third round of questionnaires was administered. As part of this questionnaire, participants were asked to give a score from one to ten based on their level of agreement. Whether they agreed or disagreed with Fetal Position in the Triangle of Life and Drop, Cover, and Hold On using a ten-point Likert scale, and the agreement rates were measured and compared. Experts completed a comparison of the two positions in the third round.

Conclusion:

According to this expert consensus, the Fetal Position in the Triangle of Life has the following advantages over Drop, Cover, and Hold On: reduced surface area, less crush injuries, protection of a larger body part from injury, better protection from hypothermia, and better maintenance of basal metabolism.

Keywords

Drop, Cover, and Hold OnearthquakeTriangle of Life, Fetal Position
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 38 , Issue 3 , June 2023 , pp. 287 - 293
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

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