The Pattern of Injuries or Medical Emergencies During High- Rise Evacuation Drill

BACKGROUND: Since the World Trade Centre attacks on September 11, 2001, there is an increased awareness towards the importance of safety systems in high-rise buildings. From a medical perspective, evacuation and treatment of the victims in this situation is very challenging especially in dealing wit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of pioneering medical sciences 2014-04, Vol.4 (2), p.81-84
Main Authors: Mohd Hashairi Fauzi, Alzamani Mohd Idrose, Abu Hassan Asaari Abdullah, Jahlelawati Zul, Nur Haslinda Mohd Nordin
Format: Article
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:BACKGROUND: Since the World Trade Centre attacks on September 11, 2001, there is an increased awareness towards the importance of safety systems in high-rise buildings. From a medical perspective, evacuation and treatment of the victims in this situation is very challenging especially in dealing with multiple injuries. It is important to know the pattern of common injuries that may occur during high-rise evacuation drill for better emergency preparedness. METHODS: This is a descriptive study looking at the incidence of injuries during high rise evacuation drills. Participants that required medical attention during drills were included in the study. RESULTS: There were 11 real patients treated in the medical station during drills. Of the total number of victims, 3 (27.3%) suffered from vasovagal attack, 3 (27.3%) asthmatic attack and 3 (27.3%) ankle sprain. Only 1 (9.05%) had severe hypertension and acute coronary syndrome respectively. CONCLUSION: With this finding, it is important for standby medical team during high rise evacuation drills to anticipate the type of injuries and help them to prepare resuscitation equipment accordingly.
ISSN:2309-7981
2309-7981