Beyond Injuries: February 6th Kahramanmaras Earthquakes and Other Patients Transported by Ambulance

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Disaster Management
• Public Health

Background:

• The February 6, 2023 earthquakes presented significant challenges to emergency medical services (EMS).
• Assessing EMS system performance and overall emergency preparedness is crucial for post-disaster health care planning.
• Focusing on patients without direct earthquake-related injuries provides a unique perspective on non-traumatic emergency needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) system and emergency preparedness.
• To analyze ambulance-transported patients during the February 6, 2023 earthquakes, excluding those with direct earthquake-related injuries.
• To identify predisposing factors for ambulance use in a post-earthquake environment.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective, observational case series design was employed.
• Data from 1872 patients aged 18 and above, transported by ambulance between February 6 and March 6, 2023, were analyzed.
• Demographic characteristics, vital signs, diagnoses, treatments, outcomes, and predisposing factors (health facilities, housing, hygiene, heating, smoke exposure) were recorded.

Main Results:

• A hospitalization rate of 55.4% and a mortality rate of 13.7% were observed.
• Cardiovascular emergencies constituted the primary reason for admission (28.9%).
• Significant predisposing factors for ambulance transport included post-earthquake health facility issues, housing problems, hygiene, heating, and smoke exposure (all P < 0.001). Pneumonia, soft tissue infection, sepsis, carbon monoxide poisoning, and diabetic emergencies were more frequent in patients from other affected provinces.

Conclusions:

• Analysis of post-earthquake ambulance-transported patients is vital for understanding emergency healthcare demand.
• The findings underscore the need to address post-disaster health care challenges, particularly those related to environmental and infrastructural impacts.
• Improving emergency preparedness requires a comprehensive approach to mitigate non-traumatic health emergencies in disaster scenarios.