1. Introduction of a mass burn casualty triage system in a hospital during a powder explosion disaster: a retrospective cohort study
- Author
-
Chip-Jin Ng, Shih-Hao You, I-Lin Wu, Yi-Ming Weng, Chung-Hsien Chaou, Cheng-Yu Chien, and Chen-June Seak
- Subjects
Triage ,Mass casualty incidents ,Burns ,Explosions ,Outcome assessment ,Surgery ,RD1-811 ,Medical emergencies. Critical care. Intensive care. First aid ,RC86-88.9 - Abstract
Abstract Background The triage system used during an actual mass burn casualty (MBC) incident is a major focus of concern. This study introduces a MBC triage system that was used by a burn center during an actual MBC incident following a powder explosion in New Taipei City, Taiwan. Methods This study retrospectively analyzed data from patients who were sent to the study hospital during a MBC incident. The patient list was retrieved from a national online management system. A MBC triage system was developed at the study hospital using the following modifiers: consciousness, breathing, and burn size. Medical records were retrieved from electronic records for analysis. Patient outcomes consisted of emergency department (ED) disposition and intervention. Results The patient population was predominantly female (56.3%), with an average age of 24.9 years. Mean burn sizes relative to the TBSA of triage level I, II, and III patients were 57.9%, 40.5%, and 8.7%, respectively. ICU length of stay differed markedly according to triage level (mean days for levels I vs II vs III: 57.9 vs 39.9 vs 2.5 days; p
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF