Pagers Explosion: Challenges of the Emergency Preparedness Plan

Area of Science:

• Disaster medicine
• Trauma surgery
• Public health preparedness

Background:

• On September 17, 2024, a large-scale Pagers Explosion in Lebanon resulted in mass casualties.
• The Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital (LAUMC-RH) received 38 patients with severe injuries, primarily amputated fingers and eye trauma.
• Existing hospital protocols were tested by the scale and nature of the blast injuries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the challenges encountered by a tertiary care hospital during a mass casualty incident.
• To analyze the types of injuries sustained from the Pagers Explosion.
• To propose strategies for improving hospital readiness and response to similar future events.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 38 patients admitted to LAUMC-RH following the Pagers Explosion.
• Analysis of injury patterns, including amputations and ocular trauma.
• Evaluation of hospital resource utilization and response coordination.

Main Results:

• The majority of injuries involved traumatic amputations of fingers and severe eye trauma.
• The hospital faced challenges in managing the surge of patients and resource allocation.
• Effective pre-existing training and drills contributed to the hospital's ability to manage the crisis.

Conclusions:

• Mass casualty incidents like the Pagers Explosion pose significant challenges to hospital preparedness.
• Specific injury patterns, such as amputations and eye injuries, require specialized care and resources.
• Continuous training and strategic planning are crucial for optimizing hospital response to mass casualty events.