Clin Exp Emerg Med.  2016 Sep;3(3):165-174. 10.15441/ceem.15.106.

A study on the disaster medical response during the Mauna Ocean Resort gymnasium collapse

• Cha MI
• Kim GW
• Kim CH
• Choa M
• Choi DH
• Kim I
• Wang SJ
• Yoo IS
• Yoon HD
• Lee KH
• Cho SJ
• Heo T
• Hong ES

• KMID: 2361023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15441/ceem.15.106

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To investigate and document the disaster medical response during the Gyeongju Mauna Ocean Resort gymnasium collapse on February 17, 2014.
METHODS
Official records of each institution were verified to select the study population. All the medical records and emergency medical service run sheets were reviewed by an emergency physician. Personal or telephonic interviews were conducted, without a separate questionnaire, if the institutions or agencies crucial to disaster response did not have official records or if information from different institutions was inconsistent.
RESULTS
One hundred fifty-five accident victims treated at 12 hospitals, mostly for minor wounds, were included in this study. The collapse killed 10 people. Although the news of collapse was disseminated in 4 minutes, dispatch of 4 disaster medical assistance teams took at least 69 minutes to take the decision of dispatch. Four point five percent were treated at the accident site, 56.7% were transferred to 2 hospitals that were nearest to the collapse site, and 42.6% were transferred to hospitals that were poorly prepared to handle disaster victims.
CONCLUSION
In the Gyeongju Mauna Ocean Resort gymnasium collapse, the initial triage and distribution of patients was inefficient and medical assistance arrived late. These problems had also been noted in prior mass casualty incidents.

Keyword

Disasters; Mass casualty incidents; Medical assistance; Social networking

MeSH Terms

Disaster Victims
Disasters*
Emergencies
Emergency Medical Services
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Health Resorts*
Humans
Mass Casualty Incidents
Medical Assistance
Medical Records
Social Networking
Triage
Wounds and Injuries