Citation

Al Sabah S, Alsharqawi N, Al Haddad E. Int. J. Surg. (London, England) 2018; 56: 15-20.

Affiliation

Al Amiri Hospital, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Electronic address: eliana.h91@gmail.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ijsu.2018.06.003

PMID

29886282

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The occurrence of terrorist attacks are still recurrent incidents plaguing the middle east region. However, Kuwait has been mostly spared from these attacks over the years. Therefore, when the bombing of the mosque in 2015 happened, it shocked a country that is not prepared for such disasters. Our aim was to present the incident that occurred on that day and on the lessons learned from it.

METHODS: A collaborative effort among the hospitals in Kuwait examined the details and outcomes of the initial response to the bombing. The centers reported their retrospective data, which was analyzed to determine prehospital and intra-hospital management and assess the medical response to the terrorist bombing.

RESULTS: A total of 239 victims were involved in the explosion, of which 18 were pronounced dead on site. 147 (67%) were transferred to the hospital for care 22 min after the explosion occurred. The injuries seen were not localized to one region of the body, but afflicted various organ systems. 86 patients were admitted to the hospital, for which five required urgent surgical intervention. Total mortality (on-site and in-hospital) reported after the bombing was 11.2%.

CONCLUSION: Rapid response after a mass casualty is of utmost importance for the adequate management of the victims of such tragedies, and could ensure excellent outcomes if performed precisely. However, many lessons can be learned from this shocking event, especially that it exposed the gaps currently present in our disaster plan systems and the importance of looking into addressing them.

Copyright © 2018 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en