Disaster Reanimatology Potentials: A Structured Interview Study in Armenia I. Methodology and Preliminary Results

Klain, Miroslav; Ricci, Edmund M.; Šafář, Peter; Semenov, V. B.; Pretto, Ernesto A.; Tisherman, Samuel A.; Abrams, J.I.; Comfort, Louise K.

doi:10.1017/s1049023x00029939

Cited by 55 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…The medical report with the longest reported time to rescue was Klain et al reporting on the 1988 Armenian earthquake with one victim saved "13-19 days" after the event (this was based on secondhand data from Soviet authorities and the authors are not more specific). 6 The next longest reported time to rescue was 8.7 days (209 h) as reported by Lopez in a 1989 follow-up evaluation of specific victims from the 1985 Mexico City earthquake. 7 The third longest time-to-rescue reported in the medical literature is 5.6 days (135 h) from the 1999 earthquake in Marmara, Turkey as reported by both Sever and Pocan.…”

Section: Medical Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 90%

Surviving Collapsed Structure Entrapment after Earthquakes: A “Time-to-Rescue” Analysis

Macintyre

Barbera

Smith

2006

Prehosp. Disaster med.

128

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Introduction:Massive earthquakes often cause structures to collapse, trapping victims under dense rubble for long periods of time. Commonly, this spurs resource intensive, dangerous, and frustrating attempts to find and extricate live victims. The search and rescue phase usually is maintained for many days beyond the last “save,” potentially diverting critical attention and resources away from the pressing needs of non-trapped survivors and the devastated community. This recurring phenomenon is driven by the often-unanswered question “Can anyone still be alive under there?” The maximum survival time in entrapment is an important issue for responders, yet little formal research has been conducted on this issue. Knowing the maximum survival time in entrapment helps responders: (1) decide whether or not they should continue to assign limited resources to search and rescue activities; (2) assess the safety risks versus the benefits; (3) determine when search and rescue activities no longer are indicated; and (4) time and pace the important transition to community recovery efforts.Methods:The time period of 1985–2004 was selected for investigation. Medline and Lexis-Nexis databases were searched for earthquake events that occurred within this timeframe. Medical literature articles providing time-torescue data for victims of earthquakes were identified. Lexis-Nexis reports were scanned to select those with time-to-rescue data for victims of earthquakes. Reports from both databases were examined for information that might contribute to prolonged survival of entrapped individuals.Results:A total of 34 different earthquake events met study criteria. Fortyeight medical articles containing time-to-rescue data were identified. Of these, the longest time to rescue was “13–19 days” post-event (secondhand data and the author is not specific). The second longest time to rescue in the medical articles was 8.7 days (209 hours). Twenty-five medical articles report multiple rescues that occurred after two days (48 hours). Media reports describe rescues occurring beyond Day 2 in 18 of 34 earthquakes. Of these, the longest reliably reported survival is 14 days after impact, with the next closest having survived 13 days. The average maximum times reported from these 18 earthquakes was 6.8 days (median = 5.75 days). The event with the most media reports of distinct rescue events was the 1999 Marmara, Turkey earthquake (43 victims). Times range from 0.5 days (12 hours) to 6.2 days (146 hours) for this event. Both databases provide little formal data to develop detailed insight into factors affecting survivability during entrapment.Conclusions:A thorough search of the English-language medical literature and media accounts provides a provocative picture of numerous survivors beyond 48 hours of entrapment under rubble, with a few successfully enduring entrapment of 13–14 days. These data are not necessarily applicable to non-earthquake collapsed-structure events. For incident managers and their medical advisors, the study findings and discussion may be useful for postimpact decision-making and in establishing and/or revising incident priorities as the response evolves.

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Section: Medical Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 90%

Surviving Collapsed Structure Entrapment after Earthquakes: A “Time-to-Rescue” Analysis

Macintyre

Barbera

Smith

2006

Prehosp. Disaster med.

128

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“…The research identified 34 major earthquakes occurring during the period 1985-2003. In the published English-language medical literature during the study interval, the longest reported time to rescue was an imprecise 13 to 19 days after the 1988 Armenian earthquake in the Soviet Union 14. The next longest documented rescue was 8.7 days after the 1985 Mexico City earthquake,15 and 5.6 days after the 1999 Marmara earthquake in Turkey 16.…”

Section: Historical Evidence and The 2010 Haiti Earthquake Experiencementioning

confidence: 98%

Survival Interval in Earthquake Entrapments: Research Findings Reinforced During the 2010 Haiti Earthquake Response

Macintyre¹,

Barbera²,

Petinaux³

2011

Disaster med. public health prep.

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ABSTRACTEarthquakes can result in collapsed structures with the potential to entrap individuals. In some cases, people can survive entrapment for lengthy periods. The search for and rescue of entrapped people is resource intensive and competes with other postdisaster priorities. The decision to end search and rescue activities is often difficult and in some cases protracted. Medical providers participating in response may be consulted about the probability of continued survival in undiscovered trapped individuals. Historically, many espouse a rigid time frame for viability of entrapped living people (eg, 2 days, 4 days, 14 days). The available medical and engineering data and media reports demonstrate a wide variety in survival “time to rescue,” arguing against the acceptance of a single time interval applicable to all incidents. This article presents historical evidence and reports from the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Factors that may contribute to survival after entombment are listed. Finally, a decision process for projecting viability that considers the critical factors in each incident rather than adhering to a single time frame for ceasing search and rescue activities is proposed. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2011;5:13–22)

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“…DC studied the medical response to the earthquake in Armenia on 7 December 1988 as part of an on-site collaboration between the International Resuscitation Research Center of the University of Pittsburgh, USA, and the Institute of Reanimatology of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences in Moscow, Russia [1]. …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Comparing the 1988 earthquake in Armenia, the former republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) [1], with the attack in New York on 11 September 2001 reveals similarities in the potential resuscitation of victims. The Armenian earthquake, which was close to its capital Yerevan (see Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untitled

Crippen

2001

Crit Care

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On 7 December 1988, a severe earthquake hit in Armenia, a former republic of the Soviet Union (USSR); on 11 September 2001, a manmade attack of similar impact hit New York City. These events share similar implications for the role of the uninjured survivor. With basic training, the uninjured survivors could save lives without tools or resuscitation equipment. This article makes the case for teaching life-supporting first aid to the public in the hope that one day, should another such incident occur, they would be able to preserve injured victims until formal rescue occurs.

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Disaster Reanimatology Potentials: A Structured Interview Study in Armenia I. Methodology and Preliminary Results

Cited by 55 publications

References 35 publications

Surviving Collapsed Structure Entrapment after Earthquakes: A “Time-to-Rescue” Analysis

Surviving Collapsed Structure Entrapment after Earthquakes: A “Time-to-Rescue” Analysis

Survival Interval in Earthquake Entrapments: Research Findings Reinforced During the 2010 Haiti Earthquake Response

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