Citation

Katayama Y, Kitamura T, Tanaka J, Nakao S, Nitta M, Fujimi S, Kuwagata Y, Shimazu T, Matsuoka T. Disaster Med. Public Health Prep. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Publisher Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/dmp.2022.61

PMID

35414369

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to reveal the characteristics and outcomes of patients injured in a major earthquake and who were transported to a hospital by ambulance.

METHODS: This study was a retrospective descriptive epidemiological study including all patients who were injured after a major earthquake struck Osaka Prefecture on June 18, 2018, and were transported to a hospital by ambulance. The main outcome was the prognosis at each hospital's emergency department.

RESULTS: In total, 214 patients were included in the analysis. Their median age was 74 years (IQR, 54-82); 53 (24.8%) were men and 161 (75.2%) were women. The median time from ambulance call to arrival at the scene was 10 min (IQR, 7-15), and the median time from ambulance call to the hospital arrival was 37 min (IQR, 30-51). Ninety-seven patients (45.3%) were admitted to a hospital, 114 patients (53.3%) were discharged home to and from the emergency department, and 3 patients (1.4%) died. Among the patients discharged to home from the emergency department, the most common pathological condition was head bruising in 16 patients.

CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the profile of injured patients transported by ambulances after an earthquake that struck an aging society.

Language: en

Keywords

public health; emergency medical services; emergency medicine; earthquakes