Guillaume Boddaert1, Pierre Mordant2, Françoise Le Pimpec-Barthes3, Emmanuel Martinod4, Sonia Aguir1, Pascal Leprince5, Mathieu Raux6, Jean-Paul Couëtil7, Antonio Fiore7, Thomas Lescot8, Brice Malgras9, François Pons10, Yves Castier2. 1. Division of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Percy Military Teaching Hospital, Clamart, France. 2. Division of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Bichat Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris Diderot University, Paris, France. 3. Division of Thoracic Surgery, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France. 4. Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Seine-Saint-Denis, Avicenne Hospital, Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery. Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 13 University, Faculty of Medicine SMBH, Bobigny, France. 5. Division of Cardiac surgery, Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris Curie University, Paris, France. 6. Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris Curie University, Paris, France. 7. Division of Cardiac Surgery, Henri Mondor Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris Est University, Créteil, France. 8. Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Saint-Antoine Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris and Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, France. 9. Division of Visceral and General Surgery, Bégin Military Teaching Hospital, Saint-Mandé, France. 10. French Military Health Service Academy, Ecole du Val-de-Grâce, Paris, France.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The Paris terrorist attacks on 13 November 2015 caused 482 casualties, including 130 deaths and 352 wounded. Facing these multisite terrorist attacks, Parisian public and military hospitals simultaneously managed numerous patients with penetrating thoracic injuries. The aim of this study was to analyse this cohort, the injury patterns, and assess the results of this mobilization. METHODS: The clinical records of all patients admitted to Parisian public and military hospitals with a penetrating thoracic injury related to the Paris 13 November terrorist attacks were reviewed. RESULTS: The study group included 25 patients (7% of the casualties) with a mean age of 34 ± 8 years and a majority of gunshot wounds ( n = 20, 80%). Most patients presented with severe thoracic injury (Abbreviated Injury Score Thorax 3.3 ± 1.2), and also associated non-thoracic injuries in 21 cases (84%). The mean Injury Severity Score was 26.8 ± 9.4. Eight patients (32%) were managed with chest tube insertion and 17 (68%) required thoracic surgery. Lung resection, diaphragmatic repair, and lung suture were performed in 6 (36%), 6 (35%), and 5 cases (29%), respectively. Extra-thoracic surgical procedures were performed in 16 patients, mostly for injuries to the extremities. Postoperative mortality was 12% ( n = 3) and postoperative morbidity was 60% ( n = 15). CONCLUSIONS: The coordination of Parisian military and civilian hospitals allowed the surgical management of 25 patients. The mortality is high but consistent with what has been reported in previous series. The current times expose us to the threat of new terrorist attacks and require that the medical community be prepared.
OBJECTIVES: The Paris terrorist attacks on 13 November 2015 caused 482 casualties, including 130 deaths and 352 wounded. Facing these multisite terrorist attacks, Parisian public and military hospitals simultaneously managed numerous patients with penetrating thoracic injuries. The aim of this study was to analyse this cohort, the injury patterns, and assess the results of this mobilization. METHODS: The clinical records of all patients admitted to Parisian public and military hospitals with a penetrating thoracic injury related to the Paris 13 November terrorist attacks were reviewed. RESULTS: The study group included 25 patients (7% of the casualties) with a mean age of 34 ± 8 years and a majority of gunshot wounds ( n = 20, 80%). Most patients presented with severe thoracic injury (Abbreviated Injury Score Thorax 3.3 ± 1.2), and also associated non-thoracic injuries in 21 cases (84%). The mean Injury Severity Score was 26.8 ± 9.4. Eight patients (32%) were managed with chest tube insertion and 17 (68%) required thoracic surgery. Lung resection, diaphragmatic repair, and lung suture were performed in 6 (36%), 6 (35%), and 5 cases (29%), respectively. Extra-thoracic surgical procedures were performed in 16 patients, mostly for injuries to the extremities. Postoperative mortality was 12% ( n = 3) and postoperative morbidity was 60% ( n = 15). CONCLUSIONS: The coordination of Parisian military and civilian hospitals allowed the surgical management of 25 patients. The mortality is high but consistent with what has been reported in previous series. The current times expose us to the threat of new terrorist attacks and require that the medical community be prepared.
Authors: Stephen Y Liang; LinLin Tian; Garrett A Cavaliere; Benjamin J Lawner; Gregory N Jasani Journal: Prehosp Disaster Med Date: 2022-08-09 Impact factor: 2.866