Analysis of wound types and wound care methods after the 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquake

Serap Ulusoy; İbrahim Kılınç; Mustafa Oruç; Buket Özdemir; Hasan Murat Ergani; Ömer Halit Keskin; Güzelali Özdemir

doi:10.52312/jdrs.2023.1128

Serap Ulusoy¹, İbrahim Kılınç¹, Mustafa Oruç¹, Buket Özdemir¹, Hasan Murat Ergani², Ömer Halit Keskin³, Güzelali Özdemir³

¹Department of General Surgery, Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, Ankara, Türkiye
²Department of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, University of Health Sciences, Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, Ankara, Türkiye
³Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, Ankara, Türkiye

Keywords: Collapsed buildings, earthquake, musculoskeletal injury, wound care wound.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the types of wounds and wound care in earthquake victims rescued from collapsed buildings after the 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquake.

Patients and methods: Between February 8^th, 2023 and March 1^st, 2023, a total of 94 patients (46 males, 48 females; mean age: 40.2±15.5 years; range, 16 to 77 years) with earthquake-related wounds who were trapped under rubble were retrospectively analyzed. Data including age, sex, duration of being trapped under rubble, type and location of the wound, bacterial cultures from deep tissue, and wound care methods used were recorded.

Results: The mean duration of being trapped under rubble was 58±38.1 h. Wounds were most commonly located on the lower extremities, followed by the upper extremities. The most common type of wounds were abrasions, followed by necrotic wounds due to crushing. Wound and skin antiseptics, debridement and negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) were the most common wound care methods used.

Conclusion: Various types of injuries and wounds may occur after natural disasters. Chronic wound care is as important as the management of life-threatening acute pathologies. Preparations should be made properly for the long-term treatment of patients after disasters. Methods such as NPWT, debridement creams containing collagenase, wound and skin antiseptics, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy can provide satisfactory short-term results. A broader and more intense application of these treatments is thought to be beneficial, particularly in crush injuries.

Citation: Ulusoy S, Kılınç İ, Oruç M, Özdemir B, Ergani HM, Keskin ÖH, et al. Analysis of wound types and wound care methods after the 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquake. Jt Dis Relat Surg 2023;34(2):488-496. doi: 10.52312/jdrs.2023.1128.

Ethics Committee Approval

The study protocol was approved by the Ankara Bilkent City Hospital No. 2 Clinical Research Ethics Committee (date: 15.03.2023, no: E2-23-3628). The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Author Contributions

Idea/concept: S.U., M.O.; Design: S.U., İ.K.; Control/supervision, critical review: G.Ö.; Data collection and/or processing: İ.K., M.O.; Analysis and/or interpretation: M.O.; Literature review: H.M.E.; Writing the article: B.Ö., References and fundings: İ.K.; Materials: Ö.H.K.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Financial Disclosure

The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.

Patient Consent for Publication

A written informed consent was obtained from each patient and/or parents or legal guardians of the patient.

Data Sharing Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.