Ataur Rahman, Saleem, Zulfiqar Ali Mastoi, Azizur Rahman.
Pattern of injuries and medical relief work in earthquake affected areas.
Pak J Surg Jan ;22(2):119-24.

Objective: To analyze the pattern of Injuries in the Oct. 2005 Earthquake, assess the problems of management and recommend suggestions for updating the Disaster plan. Design & Duration: Retrospective descriptive study from 8-13 Oct. 2005. Setting: Field hospitals in the Disaster areas. Patients: All patients who presented to the field hospitals in the Disaster areas. Methodology: The data of all the Earthquake patients was collected from the records maintained at different field hospitals by different organizations, and analyzed. Results: A total of 1186 patients were seen and managed by the different field hospitals. The majority (67%) of the injured were females. Children were more prone for injury. Spine and pelvic injuries were significant. Open wounds with or without fractures were the biggest problem. Delay in rescue increased the morbidity. Conclusion: Women and children were more injured in the Earthquake. Open wounds with or without fractures were the biggest problem. Spinal and pelvic injuries were significant.Delay in rescue increased the morbidity. Inappropriate composition of the Medical teams leads to improper utilization of manpower.

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