Immediate radiological management of disasters

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Radiology
• Disaster Management

Background:

• Accident and Emergency (A/E) departments manage numerous civil disasters.
• Mass casualty incidents necessitate efficient patient management and radiological services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the radiological workload during a major disaster.
• To emphasize the need for senior staff and efficient patient management in A/E departments during disasters.
• To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of plain-film radiography for intra-abdominal trauma.

Main Methods:

• Review of 93 civil disasters over 13 years.
• Analysis of radiological workload during one major disaster.
• Review of 100 patients with significant intra-abdominal trauma.

Main Results:

• An average of 30 patients required hospital treatment per incident, most needing radiography.
• Plain-film radiography showed a poor correlation with intra-abdominal trauma.
• Chest, spinal, and pelvic X-rays were prioritized in initial trauma assessment.

Conclusions:

• Senior radiological, radiographic, and clerical staff are essential during mass casualty incidents.
• Rapid patient management is critical to prevent life-threatening delays.
• Early use of advanced imaging like angiography and computed tomography is recommended for intra-abdominal trauma.
• Radiologists should actively participate in A/E departments.