title: Earthquake-related injuries: evaluation with multidetector computed tomography and digital radiography of 1491 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the common features of earthquake-related injuries using radiography and computed tomography.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the radiography and multidetector computed tomography features of 1491 patients injured in 2008 Sichuan earthquake. We categorized patients by age group (<35, 35-64, and ≥ 65 years) and time to imaging. Injuries were categorized by anatomical distribution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We detected earthquake-related trauma in 1197 patients (80.28%), including head injuries, facial fractures, thoracic injuries, abdominal injuries, pelvic fractures, spinal injuries, and extremity fractures in 91, 41, 354, 30, 204, 299, and 732 (61.15%) patients, respectively (χ(2) = 1844.747, P < .001). Injuries in 2 or more anatomical locations occurred in 384 cases. We discovered significant difference in the anatomical distribution of injuries among the 3 age groups (χ(2) = 104.113, P < .001) and among the time-to-imaging categories (χ(2) = 64.420, P < .001). Twenty-two patients (1.48%) eventually died. Abdominal injuries (B = 2.285, P = .004), head injuries (B = 2.194, P < .001), thoracic injuries (B = 1.989, P < .001), and age (B = 1.539, P < .001) were all associated with patient death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Sichuan earthquake most commonly resulted in extremity fractures, but there was a high incidence of injuries to multiple body areas. Head, abdominal, and thoracic injuries and age older than 64 years all were significant risk factors for earthquake mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-hui
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Zhi-gang
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhi-gang
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Tian-wu
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hong-li
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Heng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Si-shi
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Joseph C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Denor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality