Clinical analysis of long distance transport of 172 Wenchuan earthquake patients for further treatment

Abstract

Objective To study a proper method of transporting patients from the earthquake area at a long distance, by which complications can be prevented and effective treatment conducted. Methods A retrospective analysis was done on the long distance transport of 172 patients from the Wenchuan earthquake area for further treatment in our hospital. The clinical data, conditions, complications and treatments of the172 patients during transport were analyzed. Results All the 172 patients were safely transported to our hospital. Of them, 68 cases experienced one or more complications which responded to medical attention on the journey. Conclusion Most of the earthquake patients can be transported for a long distance to a destination hospital, if close observation and immediate treatment can be conducted and great attention can be paid to prevention, diagnosis and therapy of possible complications. Key words: Earthquake; Patient; Long transportation; Complications; Treatment