title: Hospitalized tornado victims.
abstract: We reviewed the clinical findings of 59 patients admitted to Huntsville's three hospitals during the first 24 hours after the November 15, 1989, tornado and as a result of injury caused by the tornado. Fracture of a bone was the most common injury followed by soft tissue trauma and infection. A variety of non-traumatic conditions also were encountered. Fractures were more frequent above the waist than below and five fractures became infected resulting in osteomyelitis. Infections most often involved the urinary tract and bone and were caused primarily by aerobic gram-negative bacilli. The hospital mortality rate was 7%.
authors.affiliation: School of Primary Medical Care, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Huntsville 35801.
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000407:Alabama; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology*