title: The relationship between timing of admission to a hospital and severity of injuries following 2005 Pakistan earthquake.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to establish the relationship between the timing of admission to a hospital and the severity of injuries following an earthquake.
  
  
  METHODS
  It was a retrospective chart review of injured patients admitted to a tertiary care teaching hospital following the 2005 Pakistan earthquake. Age, gender, injury severity score, type of injuries, complications, operations, hospital stay and mortality were studied and compared at different time intervals using SPSS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most injuries were musculoskeletal [145 (59%)] vs. all other injuries, including minor lacerations [103 (41%)], but the percentage of non-musculoskeletal injuries was higher within 24 h (67% vs. 53% respectively, p = 0.4). Injury severity score (25 ± 10 vs. 16 ± 9, p=0.01), multiple injuries [73% vs. 45%, p=0.05] and crush syndrome [20% vs. 03%, p = 0.02] were significantly higher in patients admitted within 24 h. More patients with head and neck injuries were admitted within 24 h (27% vs. 18%, p = 0.4). Patients admitted within 24 h had higher complication rates (67% vs. 32%, P = 0.01) as well as mean operative procedures (2.8 ± 1.9 vs. 1.9 ± 1.9, p= 0.08).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed that patients admitted to a hospital within 24 h following an earthquake had more severe injuries and higher complication rate than those admitted after 24 h.
authors: Shifa International Hospital, Sector H-8/4, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors: Qamar-Hafeez
authors: QH
authors: Kiani
authors: Mudassar
authors: M
authors: Qazi
authors: Adil
authors: A
authors: Khan
authors: Muhammad
authors: M
authors: Iqbal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan; D010343:Patient Admission; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult