Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T18:02:51.141Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Multiple Patients With Burn Injury Induced by a Chemical Explosion Managed by Physician-Staffed Helicopters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2019

Akihiko Kondo ,
Kei Jitsuiki ,
Hiromichi Osaka ,
Ikuto Takeuchi ,
Kouhei Ishikawa ,
Kazuhiko Omori  and
Youichi Yanagawa Open the ORCID record for Youichi Yanagawa [Opens in a new window]
Akihiko Kondo*
Affiliation:
Shizuoka Medical Research Center for Disaster, Juntendo University, Shizuoka, Japan
Kei Jitsuiki
Affiliation:
Shizuoka Medical Research Center for Disaster, Juntendo University, Shizuoka, Japan
Hiromichi Osaka
Affiliation:
Shizuoka Medical Research Center for Disaster, Juntendo University, Shizuoka, Japan
Ikuto Takeuchi
Affiliation:
Shizuoka Medical Research Center for Disaster, Juntendo University, Shizuoka, Japan
Kouhei Ishikawa
Affiliation:
Shizuoka Medical Research Center for Disaster, Juntendo University, Shizuoka, Japan
Kazuhiko Omori
Affiliation:
Shizuoka Medical Research Center for Disaster, Juntendo University, Shizuoka, Japan
Youichi Yanagawa
Affiliation:
Shizuoka Medical Research Center for Disaster, Juntendo University, Shizuoka, Japan
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Akihiko Kondo, 1129 Nagaoka, Izunokuni City, Shizuoka, Japan 410-2295 (e-mail: akondo069@gmail.com).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

On December 1, 2017, the Fuji factory of Arakawa Chemical Industries exploded. Dust that formed as a byproduct from the crushing and packing process of the resin for ink exploded at the facility. The Fuji City Fire Department requested the dispatch of 2 physician-staffed helicopters (known as a doctor helicopter [DH] in Japan). The first party of emergency services established a headquarters and first-aid station. However, this area was feared to be at risk of a second explosion. Physicians performed re-triage for all 11 burned patients. Three severely injured patients were transported to emergency medical service centers either by ground ambulance or the DH without undergoing any decontamination. The physician who escorted the patient by ground ambulance complained of a headache. One of the severely injured patients was treated at a local hospital and then transported to an emergency medical service center after undergoing decontamination and intubation. Fortunately, all patients who were transported to medical facilities obtained a survival outcome. Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive incidents are rare but can be fatal for responders to these types of disaster. Therefore, all who work in these settings should be prepared and trained adequately to ensure that they have the knowledge and skill to both manage patients and protect themselves from harm. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:799–805)

Keywords

burnchemicalexplosionmanagement
Type
Concepts in Disaster Medicine
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , August 2019 , pp. 799 - 805
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Ishikawa, K, Yanagawa, Y, Kato, Y, et al. Management of multiple burned patients with inhalation injuries. Air Med J. 2018;37(3):174-177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yanagawa, Y, Jitsuiki, K. The introduction of an education and training course for recruiting members for a local disaster medical assistance team in Shizuoka prefecture in 2017. Sch J App Med Sci. 2017;5(10E):4151-4154.Google Scholar
Lowes, AJ, Cosgrove, JF. Prehospital organization and management of a mass casualty incident. BJA Educ. 2016;16(10):323-328.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yanagawa, Y, Ishikawa, K, Takeuchi, I, et al. Should helicopters transport patients who become sick after a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive attack? Air Med J. 2018;37:124-125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yanagawa, Y, Omori, K, Ishikawa, K, et al. Difference in first aid activity during mass casualty training based on having taken an educational course. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2017:1-4.Google ScholarPubMed
Yanagawa, Y, Anan, H, Oshiro, K, Otomo, Y. An evaluation of a mass casualty life support course for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive incidents. SAS J Med. 2016;2(5):110-114.Google Scholar
Bar-El, Y, Tzafrir, S, Tzipori, I, et al. Decision-support information system to manage mass casualty incidents at a level 1 trauma center. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2013;7(6):549-554.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
An, DD, Kullgren, B, Jarvis, EE, Abergel, RJ. From early prophylaxis to delayed treatment: establishing the plutonium decorporation activity window of hydroxypyridinonate chelating agents. Chem Biol Interact. 2017;267:80-88.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koenig, KL. Preparedness for terrorism: managing nuclear, biological and chemical threats. Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2009;38(12):1026-1030.Google ScholarPubMed
Okumura, T, Suzuki, K, Fukuda, A, et al. The Tokyo subway sarin attack: disaster management, part 1: community emergency response. Acad Emerg Med. 1998;5(6):613-617.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), New York City Department of Health response to terrorist attack, September 11, 2001. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2001;50(38):821-822.Google Scholar
Chan, KC. Pre-decontamination triage for HAZMAT casualties involving an unknown chemical. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2011;26:s167.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burstein, JL, Hogan, D. Disaster Medicine. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2007:25.Google Scholar
Anan, H, Otomo, Y, Kondo, H. Development of mass-casualty life support – CBRNE (MCLS-CBRNE) in Japan. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(5):547-550.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, F, Zheng, XF, Ma, B, et al. Mass chemical casualties: treatment of 41 patients with burns by anhydrous ammonia. Burns. 2015;41(6):1360-1367.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goh, SH. Bomb blast mass casualty incidents: initial triage and management of injuries. Singapore Med J. 2009;50(1):101-106.Google Scholar
DeSanti, L, Lincoln, L, Egan, F, Demling, R. Development of a burn rehabilitation unit: impact on burn center length of stay and functional outcome. J Burn Care Rehabil. 1998;19(5):414-419.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ehrl, D, Heidekrueger, PI, Ninkovic, M, Broer, PN. Effect of primary admission to burn centers on the outcomes of severely burned patients. Burns. 2018;44(3):524-530.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kadri, SS, Miller, AC, Hohmann, S, et al. US Critical Illness and Injury Trials Group: Smoke Inhalation-associated Acute Lung Injury (SI-ALI) Investigators (USCIIT-SI-ALI). Risk factors for in-hospital mortality in smoke inhalation-associated acute lung injury: data from 68 United States hospitals. Chest. 2016;150(6):1260-1268.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kuo, LW, Yen, CI, Fu, CY, et al. The role of preliminary hospitals in the management of a mass burn casualty disaster. Burns. 2018;44(4):800-806.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed