Post-disaster medical rescue strategy in tropical regions

doi:10.5847/wjem.j.issn.1920-8642.2012.01.004

Abstract

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Earthquakes, floods, droughts, storms, mudslides, landslides, and forest wild fires are serious threats to human lives and properties. The present study aimed to study the environmental characteristics and pathogenic traits, recapitulate experiences, and augment applications of medical reliefs in tropical regions.

METHODS: Analysis was made on work and projects of emergency medical rescue, based on information and data collected from 3 emergency medical rescue missions of China International Search and Rescue Team to overseas earthquakes and tsunamis aftermaths in tropical disaster regions ― Indonesia-Aceh, Indonesia-Yogyakarta, and Haiti-Port au Prince.

RESULTS: Shock, infection and heat stroke were frequently encountered in addition to outbreaks of infectious diseases, skin diseases, and diarrhea during post-disaster emergency medical rescue in tropical regions.

CONCLUSIONS: High temperature, high humidity, and proliferation of microorganisms and parasites are the characteristics of tropical climate that impose strict requirements on the preparation of rescue work including selective team members suitable for a particular rescue mission and the provisioning of medical equipment and life support materials. The overseas rescue mission itself needs a scientific, efficient, simple workflow for providing efficient emergency medical assistance. Since shock and infection are major tasks in post-disaster treatment of severely injured victims in tropical regions, the prevention and diagnosis of hyperthermia, insect-borne infectious diseases, tropic skin diseases, infectious diarrhea, and pest harms of disaster victims and rescue team staff should be emphasized during the rescue operations.

Key words: Disasters, Tropical regions, Earthquake, Emergency medical rescue

Xiang-hui Li, Shi-ke Hou, Jing-chen Zheng, Hao-jun Fan, Jian-qi Song. Post-disaster medical rescue strategy in tropical regions[J]. World Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2012, 3(1): 23-28.

Figures/Tables 2

Table 1

Table 2

Emergency medical operations of the three CISAR's rescue missions in tropical regions

Country/Region	Indonesia/ Aceh	Indonesia/ Yogyakarta	Haiti/ Port au Prince
Team staff	75	40	50
Medical staff	37	20	15
Duration (days)	26	17	15
Patient counts	10 402	3015	2500
Medical operations	1. Set up mobile hospital & performed operations; 2. Medical rotation (refugee camp and airport surroundings); 3. Disaster area and camp health and disease prevention; 4. Victims and team member psychological counseling; 5. Protected the health of the rescue team; 6. Restored and reconstructed 3 hospitals in disaster area; 7. Built Chinese wards in General Hospital of Aceh; 8. Trained medical personnel in disaster area; 9. Collaborated with foreign rescue teams on patient transfers.	1. Set up mobile hospital & performed operations; 2. Medical rotation (disaster region villages); 3. Disaster area and camp health and disease prevention; 4. Victims and team member psychological counseling; 5. Protected the health of the rescue team; 6. Restored and reconstructed county hospital in disaster area; 7. Built Chinese wards in county hospital; 8. Trained medical personnel in disaster area.	1. Set up mobile hospital & performed operations; 2. Medical rotation (medical camp and refugee camp); 3. Disaster area and camp health and disease prevention; 4. Victims and team member psychological counseling; 5. Protected the health of the rescue team; 6. Performed medical treatment at collapse site of United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH); 7. Performed international medical collaboration & joint treatments on patients with foreign rescue teams.
Diseases	Dysentery, cholera and other diarrheal diseases; Dengue fever, malaria and other insect-borne diseases; 5 cases of malaria; 27 team members showing symptoms of actinic dermatitis; 6 team members showing symptoms of tick bite and insect bite dermatitis.	6 cases of malaria.	847 cases of mild to moderate traumatic wound infection; 92 cases of mild to moderate shock; 12 cases of seriously wounded (6 cases of severe traumatic wound infection, 3 cases of general extrusion, 2 cases of acute renal failure, 1 case of severe shock).

Table 2

References 10

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Country/Region	Date	Magnitude (Richter)	Death toll	Climate
Indonesia/ Aceh	26 December, 2004	8.7	Death and missing counts over 280 000	Tropical, hot, humid, rainy
Indonesia/ Yogyakarta	27 May, 2006	6.4	Death counts 5716	Tropical, hot, humid, rainy
Haiti/ Port au Prince	13 January, 2010	7.3	Death counts over 110 000	Tropical, hot, dry, light rain

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