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Surgical response to the 2008 Mumbai terror attack
A H Bhandarwar1, G D Bakhshi, M B Tayade
1Department of General Surgery, Grant Medical College and Sir Jamshetjee Jejeebhoy Group of Hospitals, Mumbai, India. abhandarwar@yahoo.com
The British Journal of Surgery
|December 6, 2011
Summary
The 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks caused numerous civilian casualties from firearm and blast injuries. Effective disaster management and primary triage were crucial for optimizing patient care during this unique, prolonged event.
Area of Science:
- Trauma Surgery
- Disaster Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- The 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks involved prolonged assaults on densely populated civilian areas.
- The attacks resulted in significant casualties from combined firearm and blast injuries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the disaster management plan implemented during the attacks.
- To analyze injury patterns and the surgical response to mass casualties.
Main Methods:
- The hospital's disaster management plan was activated upon receiving the first casualties.
- A triage zone was established, and medical personnel rotated every 8 hours for efficiency.
- Patients were managed based on triage, with some receiving outpatient care and others requiring hospitalization.
Main Results:
- A total of 271 casualties were recorded, with 108 deaths on admission.
- 163 patients were triaged, 23 treated as outpatients, and 140 admitted.
- 194 operations were performed on 127 patients, with six postoperative deaths.
Conclusions:
- The event represented a unique civilian-targeted terrorist attack with prolonged duration.
- Casualties sustained military-style injuries from combined firearm and blast trauma.
- Onsite primary triage significantly optimizes the management of mass casualties.
