A Clinical Analysis of Trauma Pattern in Subway Station

Kim, Chan Woong

Abstract

PURPOSE
Till now, various circumstances have generated mass casualties. Thus, the government is now concerned about providing a social safety system against disasters. Most of accidents involving mass casualties have broken out in public places like department stores, bridges, and train depots, but there are few little medical reports on accidents in subway station. So the author investigated the types of traumas experienced in cases of mass casualties at subway stations and to searched for ways to prevent injury.
METHODS
Thirty-nine patients, who presented at the Emergency Department with traumas incurred at subway stations, except for those who had definite medical diseases, were enrolled in this study, and the medical records of those patients were reviewed retrospectively. The age, gender, mechanism of injury, and other characteristics were collected for analysis.
RESULTS
There was no significant relationship between the incidence of trauma and age. In general, most of the accidents occurred on platforms and on escalators. However the older patients were more likely to be injured on escalators rather than on platforms. The opposite was true for younger patients.
CONCLUSIONS
In subway stations, platforms and escalators are weak points for trauma. Elderly people are injured much more often on escalators and young people on platforms. Thus age is a serious factor when planning an injury prevention and control system for subway stations.