”Management of Explosions and Blast Injuries after Gerdec Tragedy” (2024)

Management of Explosions and Blast Injuries after Gërdec Tragedy, Albania

Albanian Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, 2018

Health Consequences and Management of Explosive Events

Background: Explosive events refer to events, either natural or man-made, that occur advertently or accidentally. This article aimed to study epidemiology of explosive events and investigate the health consequences of such events. It also aimed to discuss the prevention and management of these events from a healthcare provision viewpoint. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study comprised 2 sections. First, following an extensive review of the literature, a database, containing the related articles was developed. Then, the core research group drafted the first adapted version of the results. Using a Delphi panel methodology, the results were finalized based on the consensus of 11 experts. Results: Terrorist explosion is the most common type and of ever-growing explosions worldwide. It accounts for the largest proportion of casualties caused by man-made events. Health consequences of explosions can be classified into physical, mental, and social ones, which can appear immediately or a long time after the event and affect individuals, families, and societies. Conclusion: Because of the wide range and adverse impacts of explosions, healthcare authorities and staff should have a good grasp of preventive principles, as well as protection and management of explosion sites. Besides they have to be familiar with treating the injured. It is recommended that training courses and simulated explosive events be designed and run by the healthcare sector.

Management of victims in a mass casualty incident caused by a terrorist bombing: treatment algorithms for stable, unstable, and in extremis victims

Military medicine, 2006

Bombs aimed at civilian populations are the most common weapon used by terrorists throughout the world. Over the last decade, we have been involved in the management of more than 20 mass casualty incidents, most of which were caused by terrorist bombings. Commonly, in these events, there may be many victims and many deaths. However, only a few of the survivors will suffer from life-threatening injuries. Appropriate and timely treatment may impact their survival. Due to the complex mechanism of injury seen in these scenarios, treatment of victims injured by explosions is somewhat different from that exercised in blunt and penetrating trauma from other causes. The intention of this article was to outline the initial medical treatment of the injured victim arriving at the emergency department during a mass casualty incident caused by a terrorist bombing. Treatment protocols for stable, unstable, and in extremis patients are presented.

The Epidemiology of Terrorism Casualties

Scandinavian Journal of Surgery, 2005

Blast trauma: the fourth weapon of mass destruction

Scandinavian journal of surgery : SJS : official organ for the Finnish Surgical Society and the Scandinavian Surgical Society, 2005

Injury from blast is becoming more common in the non-military population. This is primarily a result of an increase in politically motivated bombings within the civilian sector. Explosions unrelated to terrorism may also occur in the industrial setting. Civilian physicians and surgeons need to have an understanding of the pathomechanics and physiology of blast injury and to recognize the hallmarks of severity in order to increase survivorship. Because victims may be transported rapidly to the hospital, occult injury to gas and fluid containing organs (particularly the ears, bowel and lungs) may go unrecognized. Information surrounding the physical environment of the explosion (whether inside or outside, underwater, associated building collapse, etc) will prove useful. Most of the immediate deaths are caused by primary blast injury from the primary blast wave, but secondary blast injury from flying debris can also be lethal and involve a much wider radius. Liberal use of X-ray examin...

Bomb Explosions in Acts of Terrorism: Evil Creativity Challenges Our Trauma Systems

Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 2009

Bomb blast injuries: Tertiary care hospital in-patient experience over the last 20 years

2015

OBJECTIVE To examine the distribution and nature of limb injuries in young bomb blast victimsand their management in a tertiary healthcare setting. METHODS The retrospective study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi and data was searched using the University Medical Record Database with International Classification of Diseases-Ninth Revision-Clinical Modification codes for injuries and terrorism between 1990 and 2012. Data regarding injuries, including admission time, hospital stay duration, interventions and mortality, was collected and classified as per the New Injury Severity Score. RESULTS There were 22 patients in the study; 19(86.3%) males and 3(13.7%) females. The mean age of the sample was 13.1±4.1 years. Median length of hospital stay was 9 days (range: 2-42 days). Sixteen (72.7%) patients required operative intervention. Patients rarely had accompanying injuries with limb injuries. Four (18%) patients needed open reduction and internal fixation. Two ...

Mass-casualty, terrorist bombings: implications for emergency department and hospital emergency response (Part II)

Prehospital and disaster medicine

This article reviews the implications of mass-casualty, terrorist bombings for emergency department (ED) and hospital emergency responses. Several practical issues are considered, including the performance of a preliminary needs assessment, the mobilization of human and material resources, the use of personal protective equipment, the organization and performance of triage, the management of explosion-specific injuries, the organization of patient flow through the ED, and the efficient determination of patient disposition. As long as terrorists use explosions to achieve their goals, mass-casualty, terrorist bombings remain a required focus for hospital emergency planning and preparedness.

Medical consequences of suicide bombing mass casualty incidents: The impact of explosion setting on injury patterns

Injury, 2009

Pitfalls to avoid in the medical management of mass casualty incidents following terrorist bombings: the hospital perspective

European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, 2014