Hostname: page-component-669899f699-chc8l Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-26T18:50:42.807Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Utilization of Emergency Department and Outpatient Clinics among Evacuated Victims after the 2023 Turkey Earthquake

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 January 2024

Buğra İlhan Open the ORCID record for Buğra İlhan [Opens in a new window] ,
Oğuz Eroğlu ,
Hüseyin Çanak ,
Abdullah Arıkan ,
Münir Sakallı ,
Serkan Tursun  and
Turgut Deniz
Buğra İlhan*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey
Oğuz Eroğlu
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey
Hüseyin Çanak
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey
Abdullah Arıkan
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey
Münir Sakallı
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey
Serkan Tursun
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey
Turgut Deniz
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey
*
Correspondence: Buğra İlhan, Assoc. Prof. Department of Emergency Medicine Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine Kırıkkale, Turkey E-mail: bugra_ilhan@yahoo.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background:

After the 2023 Turkey earthquake, thousands of people evacuated to different fields. Earthquake victims still need health care in the evacuation location. This study aims to determine the emergency department (ED) and outpatient clinic utilization characteristics of the evacuated earthquake victims outside the earthquake zone and to provide suggestions for planning the health care facilities in the regions where the evacuated earthquake victims will be placed.

Methods:

This retrospective, observational study was conducted in a tertiary university hospital from February 7, 2023 through February 20, 2023. All evacuated earthquake victims who presented to the study hospital were included in the study. Non-victim patients were included as the control group. Missing medical records were excluded. Demographic characteristics of the patients, outpatient clinics, International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems-10th Revision (ICD-10) codes, and outcomes were recorded.

Results:

A total of 15,128 patients were included in the final analysis. Six-hundred-nine (4.0%) of the patients were evacuated victims. Three-hundred forty-six (56.8%) evacuated victims used the ED. One-hundred fifty-six (25.6%) earthquake victims were in the pediatric age group. Earthquake victims used the ED more than the control group in adult and pediatric age groups (22.5% versus 51.7% and 30.2% versus 71.8%; P <.001, respectively). Earthquake victims frequently presented to the hospital during night shifts in both age groups (P <.05). Pediatric victims were more hospitalized than the control group (4.8% versus 10.9%; P = .001). Diseases of the respiratory system were the most common emergency diagnosis of the victims in both age groups (26.5% and 57.1%, respectively). The most frequently used outpatient clinic was ophthalmology in both age groups (14.6% and 20.5%, respectively).

Conclusions:

Evacuated victims, especially pediatric victims, used the ED more than other outpatient clinics. Diseases of the respiratory system were the most common emergency diagnosis of the victims, and the most frequently preferred outpatient clinic was ophthalmology. The most common diseases and frequently preferred clinics should be considered in planning health care for the evacuated earthquake victims.

Keywords

earthquakeemergencyoutpatientutilizationvictim
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 39 , Issue 1 , February 2024 , pp. 20 - 24
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

[AFAD President Sezer: The loss of life in the earthquake was 50 thousand 96 and the number of injured was 107 thousand 204]. https://www.dha.com.tr/gundem/afad-baskani-sezer-depremde-can-kaybi-50-bin-96-yaralanan-sayisi-ise-107-bin-204-2224110. Accessed September 2023.Google Scholar
Baykan, N, Aslaner, MA. The use of emergency department and outpatient clinics by Syrian refugees. J Glob Health. 2019;9(2):020404.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Graetz, V, Rechel, B, Groot, W, Norredam, M, Pavlova, M. Utilization of health care services by migrants in Europe-a systematic literature review. Br Med Bull. 2017;121(1):5–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ruud, SE, Aga, R, Natvig, B, Hjortdahl, P. Use of emergency care services by immigrants-a survey of walk-in patients who attended the Oslo Accident and Emergency Outpatient Clinic. BMC Emerg Med. 2015;15:25.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Xu, K, Watanabe-Galloway, S, Qu, M, Grimm, B, Kim, J. Common diagnoses among refugee populations: linked results with statewide hospital discharge database. Ann Global Health. 2018;84(3):541.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yorulmaz, S, Korkut, S, Tunali Turkdogan, F, Turkdogan, KA. Disaster area triage in the first 24h of earthquakes, evaluation of pre-hospital and hospital procedures: 6.6 Elazig Earthquake. Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg. 2022;28(8):1122–1127.Google Scholar
Guru, S, Zaman, S, Karamercan, MA. Emergency response and clinical insights from a non-epicenter hospital during the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake: a retrospective analysis. Med Sci Monit. 2023;29:e941226.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kundakci, B, Mirioglu, A, Tekin, M, et al. 6 February 2023, orthopedic experience in Kahramanmaras earthquake and surgical decision in patients with crush syndrome. J Orthop Surg Res. 2023;18(1):537.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sari, H, Ozel, M, Akkoc, MF, Sen, A. First-week analysis after the Turkey Earthquakes: demographic and clinical outcomes of victims. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2023;38(3):294–300.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Irvin, CB, Atas, JG. Management of evacuee surge from a disaster area: solutions to avoid non-emergent, emergency department visits. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2007;22(3):220–223.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yorifuji, T, Sato, T, Yoneda, T, et al. Disease and injury trends among evacuees in a shelter located at the epicenter of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, Japan. Arch Environ Occup Health. 2018;73(5):284–291.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lo, JC, Hong, YC, Lin, CC. Healthcare utilization of bereaved family members following the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake: evidence from administrative data. J Psychosom Res. 2013;75(5):484–490.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sepehri, G, Meimandi, M-S. Pattern of drug prescription and utilization among Bam residents during the first six months after the 2003 Bam earthquake. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2006;21(6):396–402.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed