Terrorist attack in Nice - The experience of general surgeons

Area of Science:

• Trauma Surgery
• Emergency Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• The 2016 Nice terrorist attack involved a truck ramming into a crowd, causing mass casualties.
• 86 deaths and 458 injuries were reported, overwhelming local medical facilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the management of patients with abdominal trauma admitted alive during the Nice terrorist attack.
• To analyze the challenges faced in a mass casualty incident (MCI) setting.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of adult patients with abdominal trauma from the Nice attack.
• Review of patient management, including surgical interventions and outcomes.

Main Results:

• Eleven patients presented with abdominal trauma, with a median Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 34.
• Eight patients underwent urgent surgery, six for abdominal trauma, utilizing damage control principles.
• Non-operative management was considered for three patients but was not feasible due to resource saturation during the MCI.

Conclusions:

• Mass casualty incidents like the Nice attack pose significant diagnostic, therapeutic, and logistical challenges.
• Surgical hemostasis is recommended for patients with hemorrhagic risk from visceral trauma in MCI settings.
• Non-operative management of abdominal trauma is not advisable during mass influxes of victims.