Citation

Bartholdson S, von Schreeb J. Curr. Trauma Rep. 2018; 4(2): 103-108.

Affiliation

Centre for Research on Health Care in Disasters, Health System and Policy Research, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s40719-018-0125-3

PMID

29888166

PMCID

PMC5972170

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Natural disasters have injured more than 2 million people in the last 10 years and led to significant international medical relief deployment. Knowledge of expected injury patterns following these disasters is an important part of planning for type and size of outside surgical assistance. This review aims to summarize what is known about injury patterns following natural sudden-onset disasters (SODs). RECENT FINDINGS: Several systematic reviews have concluded that data on injury patterns and surgical needs following natural SODs is scarce. Studies on earthquakes indicate that earthquakes generate large numbers of injured, out of which limb injuries are most common. Tsunamis, floods, storms, and wildfires do not generate a significant burden of injuries in relation to numbers affected. SUMMARY: Earthquake may require surgical assistance, especially for limb injuries; therefore, mainly orthopedic and plastic surgeries are priority specialist areas. Major injuries seem to be few in other natural disasters. However, more detailed data is needed on specific injury patterns to determine if additional surgical assistance is needed and to what extent it is needed to cater for normal surgical conditions if existing health care has seized to function.

Language: en

Keywords

Disaster medicine; Disaster victims; Emergency medicine; Natural disasters; Trauma surgery; Wounds and injuries