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First Rescue Under the Rubble: The Medical Aid in the First Hours After the Earthquake in Amatrice (Italy) on August 24, 2016

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2017

Angelo Geremia Blasetti
Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, San Filippo and San Nicola Hospital of Avezzano, L’Aquila, Italy
Emiliano Petrucci*
Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, San Filippo and San Nicola Hospital of Avezzano, L’Aquila, Italy
Vincenza Cofini
Affiliation:
Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
Barbara Pizzi
Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, San Filippo and San Nicola Hospital of Avezzano, L’Aquila, Italy
Paolo Scimia
Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesia, Analgesia and Perioperative Medicine, Azienda Socio-Sanitaria Territoriale of Cremona, Cremona, Italy
Tullio Pozone
Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, San Salvatore Academic Hospital of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
Stefano Necozione
Affiliation:
Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
Pierfrancesco Fusco
Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, San Salvatore Academic Hospital of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
Franco Marinangeli
Affiliation:
Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
*
Correspondence: Emiliano Petrucci, MD Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit San Filippo and San Nicola Hospital of Avezzano 67051, L’Aquila, Italy E-mail: petrucciemiliano@gmail.com

Specific event identifiers

a. Event Type: Earthquake measuring 6.2 (SD=0.016) on the moment magnitude;

b. Event Onset: August 24, 2016 - 03:36:32 CEST (01:36 UTC);

c. Location of Event: Central Italy, in the town of Amatrice;

d. Geographic Coordinates: latitude (DMS): 42°37′45.77″N; longitude (DMS): 13°17′18.14″E; elevation: 955 meters above sea-level;

e. Dates: August 24, 2016 at 4:48 AM;

f. Response Type: Medical Relief.

Abstract

On August 24, 2016, an earthquake hit the town of Amatrice (Italy). This study aims to document the first medical aid provided to earthquake victims in Amatrice immediately following the earthquake.

Patient data were collected and recorded during the first clinical evaluation and before definitive hospitalization. Blood gas tests were performed on survivors extricated from the rubble using the iSTAT (Abbott Point of Care Inc.; Princeton, New Jersey USA) handheld blood analyzer.

Performing “victim-side” blood gas tests could provide concrete information to facilitate clinical evaluation and decision making when treating buried victims. After a natural disaster, it is essential to provide effective analgo-sedation to victims.

BlasettiAG, PetrucciE, CofiniV, PizziB, ScimiaP, PozoneT, NecozioneS, FuscoP, MarinangeliF. First Rescue Under the Rubble: The Medical Aid in the First Hours After the Earthquake in Amatrice (Italy) on August 24, 2016. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(1):109–113.

Type
Field Report
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2017 

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Footnotes

Conflicts of interest: none

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