Emergency Response and Clinical Insights from a Non-Epicenter Hospital during the 2023 Turkey-Syria Earthquake: A Retrospective Analysis

Abstract

BACKGROUND The Turkey-Syria earthquake of February 6, 2023, impacted 11 provinces and necessitated widespread emergency medical support. Although not at the disaster's epicenter, Ankara Mamak State Hospital in Ankara, Turkey, offered critical multidisciplinary support. This retrospective study evaluates the factors that drove 124 admissions to the hospital's Emergency Department (ED) following the earthquake. MATERIAL AND METHODS We recorded patient demographic data, dates of arrival at the ED, provinces of origin, diagnoses, treatments, consultations during the ED visit, and patient outcomes. The majority of the 124 admissions were due to trauma and multi-organ damage, and the primary diagnostic tools were physical examination and radiological imaging. Of these patients, 85.5% (106) recovered and were discharged directly from the ED, 11 were admitted for continued care, and 7 were referred to another hospital. RESULTS The 124 cases consisted of adults injured within the first 20 days post-earthquake, with a mean age of 46.5±17.4 years, and a higher number of females. A peak in admissions was observed on the third and fourth days following the earthquake, with the most cases originating from the Hatay province. The most frequently injured body region was the lower extremity, and orthopedic consultations significantly outnumbered other surgical consultations. CONCLUSIONS Our findings underscore the vital role of robust, multidisciplinary disaster preparedness in all EDs, especially in regions prone to natural disasters.

Figure 1

Number of cases according to the provinces they came from after the February 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake to Emergency Department of Ankara Mamak State Hospital.

Figure 2

Distribution of surgical consultations requested from Emergency Department of Ankara Mamak State Hospital for patients admitted following the February 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake.