Evaluation of musculoskeletal injuries after the 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquake: A local hospital experience

Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate musculoskeletal injuries, clinical follow-ups and treatments of trauma patients admitted to our hospital after the 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquake. Patients and methods Between February 6 th , 2023 and February 16 th , 2023, a total of 957 trauma patients (452 males, 505 females; mean age: 36.2±19.9 years; range, 0 to 97 years) who were affected by the earthquake were retrospectively analyzed. Age, sex, presence of orthopedic consultation, diagnosis of open/closed fracture, diagnosis of dislocation, presence and classification of soft tissue injury, additional system injury, preoperative and postoperative neurovascular examination status, presence of compartment syndrome, conservative/surgical applications, operation side, fasciotomy surgery and level, amputation surgery and level, length of stay in the hospital and intensive care unit (ICU), the Mangled Extremity Severity Score (MESS) score were collected. Results A total of 811 of the survivors were Turkish and 146 were Syrians. Of 957 earthquake victims, 40% had soft tissue injuries, 19% had closed fractures, 8.9% had other system injuries, 7.7% had crush injuries, 4.1% had nerve injuries, 2.1% had compartment syndrome, 2.1% had vascular injury, 1.8% had dislocation, and 1.7% had open fracture. Surgical or conservative treatments were applied to 574 patients with musculoskeletal injuries. Conservative treatment was applied to 322 of 574 patients and surgical procedure was applied to 252 patients. Conclusion The highest patient density is experienced within the first 24 h after a devastating earthquake. The most common injuries due to high-energy trauma are isolated soft tissue injuries and fractures. The definition of the demographic characteristics and clinical outcomes of earthquake patients is critical to the development of preparedness, response, and recovery policies for future disasters.

Multidisciplinary approach to a 93‐year‐old survivor with crush syndrome: A 124‐h rescue operation after the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake

“… 2 , 3 This was evident in the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, where at least six fatalities were reported due to crush syndrome, underscoring the severity of the condition in post‐disaster medical challenges. Comparatively, the 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquake in Turkey also caused a considerable number of crush injuries, 7.7% of the total injuries, 4 highlighting the global prevalence of this issue in seismic events. However, data related to crush syndrome post‐earthquake remains few, emphasizing the need for comprehensive reporting and analysis to better understand the pathological condition and mortality.…”

Rehabilitation approach after earthquake disaster: a brief report from Turkey

“…While there were patients who stayed in the debris for 4 h after the earthquake, there were also patients who stayed in the wreckage for 10 days. For this reason and due to the inadequacy of the trained team, the timing of the surgery performed on these patients also varies ( 9 , 10 ). After the earthquake, volunteer physicians and trained health staff from many other cities and countries came for helping to the earthquake-affected cities.…”

The initial response of a local hospital in the earthquake zone during the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes: Injuries and challenges

“… 1 , 2 According to official records, after the February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, over 50,000 deaths and over 100,000 injuries were reported. 3 - 5 The most common etiology of injury is crush injuries caused by being trapped under debris due to destruction. Crush syndrome after crush injuries is a well-defined clinical entity.…”