Drop, Cover, and Hold On versus Fetal Position in the Triangle of Life to Survive in an Earthquake: A Delphi Study

This study aims to determine and compare the effectiveness of Drop, Cover, and Hold On versus Fetal Position in the Triangle of Life regarding reducing casualties during earthquakes and establishing a consensus among medical search and rescue experts.

In this study, the data collected from ten experienced medical search and rescue professionals were analyzed using a three-stage Delphi technique to compare Drop, Cover, and Hold On versus Fetal Position in the Triangle of Life.

At the end of the first round of Delphi, all of the experts mentioned the following factors: age, position, and surface area of the injured person. A victim's time under rubble and the experience of search and rescue teams are two prominent factors related to search and rescue. After the earthquake simulation in the second round, mannequin damage rates were examined by opening rubble pavement and tunnels. Following the second round of ratings, a third round of questionnaires was administered. As part of this questionnaire, participants were asked to give a score from one to ten based on their level of agreement. Whether they agreed or disagreed with Fetal Position in the Triangle of Life and Drop, Cover, and Hold On using a ten-point Likert scale, and the agreement rates were measured and compared. Experts completed a comparison of the two positions in the third round.

According to this expert consensus, the Fetal Position in the Triangle of Life has the following advantages over Drop, Cover, and Hold On: reduced surface area, less crush injuries, protection of a larger body part from injury, better protection from hypothermia, and better maintenance of basal metabolism.