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The Three Rivers Regatta accident: an EMS perspective.
1Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA 15213.
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine
|January 1, 1991
Summary
A 1988 racing accident injured 24 spectators. Prehospital emergency medical services (EMS) physicians and paramedics successfully triaged and evacuated patients, highlighting the importance of planning and inter-agency communication for mass casualty incidents.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Trauma Care
- Public Health
Background:
- The Three Rivers Regatta accident on August 7, 1988, involved a Formula I racing craft colliding with shore.
- This incident resulted in 24 injured spectators, necessitating a rapid and organized prehospital response.
Purpose of the Study:
- To retrospectively examine the prehospital-based emergency medical service (EMS) response to a multiple-casualty incident.
- To identify key factors contributing to the successful medical care and evacuation of patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of the EMS response to the Three Rivers Regatta accident.
- Evaluation of the triage, stabilization, and transport processes involving EMS physicians and paramedics.
Main Results:
- 24 patients were triaged and evacuated in 32 minutes by a prehospital-based rescue team.
- Patient transport to 5 hospitals, including 4 Level I trauma centers, was completed in 53 minutes.
- Pediatric patients constituted 50% of the injured, a significant proportion.
Conclusions:
- Successful medical care was attributed to "Daily Routine Doctrine" (escalation of existing protocols).
- Adequate resources, local adaptation, inter-agency communication (EMS, police, fire), and prehospital physician input were crucial.
- The response demonstrated effective prehospital management of a mass casualty incident with a high proportion of pediatric victims.