The relationship between timing of admission to a hospital and severity of injuries following 2005 Pakistan earthquake

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to establish the relationship between the timing of admission to a hospital and the severity of injuries following an earthquake. METHODS: It was a retrospective chart review of injured patients admitted to a tertiary care teaching hospital following the 2005 Pakistan earthquake. Age, gender, injury severity score, type of injuries, complications, operations, hospital stay and mortality were studied and compared at different time intervals using SPSS. RESULTS: Most injuries were musculoskeletal [145 (59%)] vs. all other injuries, including minor lacerations [103 (41%)], but the percentage of non-musculoskeletal injuries was higher within 24 h (67% vs. 53% respectively, p = 0.4). Injury severity score (25 ± 10 vs. 16 ± 9, p = 0.01), multiple injuries [73% vs. 45%, p = 0.05] and crush syndrome [20% vs. 03%, p = 0.02] were significantly higher in patients admitted within 24 h. More patients with head and neck injuries were admitted within 24 h (27% vs. 18%, p = 0.4). Patients admitted within 24 h had higher complication rates (67% vs. 32%, P = 0.01) as well as mean operative procedures (2.8 ± 1.9 vs. 1.9 ± 1.9, p = 0.08). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that patients admitted to a hospital within 24 h following an earthquake had more severe injuries and higher complication rate than those admitted after 24 h.