Analysis of thoracic trauma patients transferred to Türkiye’s largest hospital after Kahramanmaraş earthquake

Abstract

BACKGROUND: On February 6, 2023, an earthquake in Türkiye caused massive destruction. Over 50.000 people are known to have lost their lives, and over 100.000 are known to have been maimed. In our study, we aimed to analyze the treatment process of 267 METHODS: The demographic characteristics, the time spent under the rubble, the duration of transfer to the hospital, and the treatment process of patients admitted to our hospital have been evaluated. RESULTS: There are 125 (46.8%) men and 142 (53.2%) women in the study. The rate of thoracic trauma was 21.8%. Of all the patients, 15.7% (n=42) had pneumothorax, 18% (n=48) had contusion, 28.8% (n=77) had hemothorax, and 73% (n=195) had rib fractures. The mean time spent under the rubble was 17.6±26.5 h, the duration of transfer to the hospital was 138.5±113.6 h, and the hospitalization time was 93.8±152.3 h. The duration of hospitalization and transfer has been statistically longer for the patients who were under the rubble (85.4%) than for those who were not. (14.6%) (p=0.048). There is a statistically weak positive correlation between the time spent under the rubble and the time of transfer (p=0.048). CONCLUSION: The state, the time spent under the rubble, and the presence of hemothorax and pneumothorax should be effectively evaluated in earthquake-induced thoracic traumas. Considering these criteria in the transfer of patients to the centers operating at full capacity in a short time will minimize morbidity and mortality.