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Injury Patterns and Medical Evacuation of Patients in Chifeng Tornado in China, August 11, 2017

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 October 2019

Fangjie Zhao ,
Chaoqun Hu ,
Zhenqing Xu ,
Qiangyu Deng ,
Yaomin Wu  and
Lulu Zhang
Fangjie Zhao
Affiliation:
Institute of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
Chaoqun Hu
Affiliation:
Institute of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
Zhenqing Xu
Affiliation:
Institute of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
Qiangyu Deng
Affiliation:
Institute of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
Yaomin Wu
Affiliation:
Institute of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
Lulu Zhang*
Affiliation:
Institute of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Lulu Zhang, Director, Institute of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Road, Shanghai, China, 200433 (e-mail: zllrmit@163.com).
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Abstract

Objectives:

To study injury patterns and medical rescue operations related to tornadoes that occur in rural areas, this study investigated the data pertaining to the 2017 Chifeng tornado (China).

Methods:

Medical records of 52 tornado-related patients were investigated. Data were collected from 3 local hospitals that received all the tornado victims.

Results:

A total of 148 injuries were diagnosed. Tornado-related injuries were mainly caused by collapsed houses (51.9%) and direct physical trauma caused by the tornado (38.5%). Most injuries occurred outdoors (63.5%). The head (20.3%) and thorax (14.8%) were most 2 frequent anatomical injury sites. Soft-tissue injuries (43.9%) and contusions and lacerations (37.3%) were the 2 most common injury types. On evaluating the Abbreviated Injury Scale scores, a score of 1 was the most common (66.2%), and a score of 6 was not recorded.

Conclusions:

A trailing phenomenon in the distribution of time to admission among the victims of a particular tornado in China was observed. The delivery is timely compared with nondisaster situation. There was a statistically significant difference of injury causes between outdoor and indoor patients. Helmets should be used by potential tornado victims. Basement units capable of functioning as shelters should be built in villages.

Keywords

disaster medicinetornadoesemergency medical servicespublic health professional educationhospital emergency service
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 14 , Issue 5 , October 2020 , pp. 590 - 595
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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