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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Daniel S. Budnitz, MD, MPH, Division of Injury and Disability Outcomes and Programs Team, National Center for Injury Prevention and Congrol, 4770 Buford Hwy, NE, Mailstop F-41, Atlanta, GA 30341, 770-488-1486, zyq6@cdc.gov
The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001, killed and injured more people than any previous attack in the United States. Within hours, the New York City Department of Health and CDC began rapid surveillance to assess the health effects of the attack. Trained personnel manually reviewed hospital records of patients presenting for emergency care at five Manhattan hospitals between 8:45 AM, September 11, and 8 AM, September 13, 2001. Basic demographic and clinical data were abstracted and analyzed. Injuries attributed to the WTC attack by hospital staff were considered attack related. Among 790 survivors treated for WTC related injuries, half presented for emergency care within 6.5 hours of the first crash, 139 (18%) were admitted for further treatment, and 279 (35%) were rescue workers. Injuries to civilians accounted for 82% of survivors presenting for care during the first 6 hours after the attack. Subsequently, most survivors who presented for treatment were rescue workers. Inhalation injuries (49%) and ocular injuries (26%) were the most common injuries. Rescue workers were twice as likely as non-rescue workers to sustain ocular injuries (39% vs. 19%, p<0.0001). Most WTC attack survivors who presented for emergency care at the sampled hospitals did so soon after the attack and sustained injuries treated on an outpatient basis. Identification of injuries sustained by rescue workers supported the targeted safety interventions. Lessons learned from this rapid assessment can improve surveillance and response in future disasters.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Injury, Disasters
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.