Disaster Planning in the Emergency Department by Using an Analysis of Injuries Related to Assembly and Demonstration

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study is to enable emergency centers to adequately cope with a vast number of demonstration-related injured patients by using an interventional study. With this analysis, emergency centers can hopefully prepare with adequate manpower, equipment and resources. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 117 patients with injuries related assembly and demonstration who visited the Emergency Medical Center of St. Mary's Hospital from Aug 13, 1999, to Jan 31, 2004 (pre-intervention state). These patients were analyzed according to sex, age, the severity of injury, the presence of a laceration, the injury mechanism, the final diagnosis, and the areas of the injury. Using these data, we established a disaster plan, then, we applied that plan to 59 patients who visited the Emergency Medical Center during Feb 2004 (post-interventional preliminary study). RESULTS: The common areas of the injury were the face (35.1%), the head (33.1%), and the extremities (25.4%) during the pre-intervention state. The number of patients with lacerations was 61 (52.1%). According to this, we established our own external hospital disaster plan. During the preliminary post-interventional study, the plan reduced the length of hospital stay, the delayed time to radiology, and the not-sutured rate (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: When patients injured during violent demonstrations are expected, local emergency care hospitals need to prepare manpower, resources, and supplies for facial and head lacerations and apply their disaster plan.