SPINAL INJURIES PROFILE IN 2018 PALU-DONGGALA EARTHQUAKE AND TSU-NAMI, INDONESIA

Abstract

Background: On September 28th 2018, an tectonic earthquake with 7.4 Richter scale magnitude hit Donggala Regency and Palu City, Central Sulawesi, leading to thousands death and hundreds injury. This study retrospectively reviewed spinal injured patients’ profile that had been referred to Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital, Makassar, South Sulwesi, Indonesia.

Method: This was descriptive retrospective study of spinal injured patients referred to our hospital. The imaging and clinical data were collected by using medical record regarding the gender and age, causal relationship with the disasters, anatomical location of the injury, severity of spinal cord injury based on neurological deficit, fracture pattern, and treatment of choices.

Result and Discussion: From fifteen patients , the mean age was 42.67 ± 20.09 (15-80) years old. Most of the patients (14 cases, 93.33%) was strucked by building materials related to earthquake Thoracal and lumbosacral region are the most affected site, each of them is 6 cases (40%) respectively. As many as 7 patients (46.67%) had burst fracture pattern Neurological examination revealed 7 patients (46.67%) with ASIA E score. Ten patients (66.67%) had been recommended to undergo decompression and/or posterior stabilization with mean operation time was 2.32 ± 0.6 (range: 1.3 – 3.50) hours.

Conclusion: Devastating distaster in Palu-Donggala, Indonesia remain a long-lasting disability for many spinal injured patient. Numerous improvement should be established as an integral part of holistic disaster management.