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There was a tragic accident in Croatia. The bus with Polish tourists went out of the way and fell into a ditch. At least 12 people have died and several dozen are injured. The rescue operation in such an event is very difficult. Triage is necessary, i.e. segregation of the injured in terms of their chances of survival. – The casualties must be evacuated as soon as possible from the scene of the accident to appropriate hospitals. The point is not to move the tragedy from place to place, not to take 30 patients to one facility, because this will increase the number of deaths – explains Karol Bączkowski, paramedic.
- In the accident of the Polish coach in Croatia, 12 people were killed and more than 40 were injured
- It was a mass accident. During this type of event, a triad procedure is introduced, i.e. medical segregation, during which the victims are given priority
- As the paramedic explains, such medical actions are a huge logistical challenge – the injured must be transported to appropriate hospitals, and as soon as possible.
- The expert draws attention to risk factors in coaches that may determine the severity of injuries. This includes walking around the vehicle, keeping luggage underfoot, no seat belts and huge windows
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
“It is very hard work not to hurt these people even more”
In terms of emergency medicine a mass accident is an incident requiring first aid on such a scale that the forces and resources are insufficient to help everyone. That is why trio, that is, medical segregation, is necessary. Its aim is to set such medical and transport priorities in order to save as many victims as possible. It also helps you make the most of your on-site medical services, equipment and logistical support.
44 people traveled to Croatia by Polish coach. According to the latest information, 12 passengers were killed, the rest were injured and transported to nearby hospitals.
As Karol Bączkowski, a paramedic, explains, how quickly and effectively medical assistance will be provided to victims of a mass accident depends largely on the site of the accident. If it happened near the city, the medical dispatcher is able to attract more services, if the incident happened further, you have to take into account the extended travel time and consequences.
– The idea is to evacuate the injured from the scene of the accident as soon as possible, transport them to hospitals with an appropriate level of referentiality – so that damaged children do not go to adult hospitals or that someone with vascular injuries does not end up in a facility where there is no choroid. This is the powerful work of the rescuers-coordinators and the coordinator’s dispatcher who is in charge of the rescue operation. The point is also not to move the tragedy from place to place, not to take 30 patients to one hospital, because this will increase the number of deaths. It is very hard work not to hurt these people even more – explain.
The rest of the text below the video.
What is medical segregation in a mass accident?
The most common system used for the medical triage procedure is the Start system. Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment – simple selection and quick help). On its basis, rescuers define the condition of the injured, dividing them into four groups corresponding to the colors: red, yellow, green and black.
Victims who are most likely to die if medical attention is not given immediately are marked in red. With proper medical care, the patient has a chance to survive and recover.
The second priority (yellow) is given to people who need urgent help, but who can wait (up to 24 hours) for help. These are people who have been injured and require medical attention, but the delay in its implementation is not life-threatening. Importantly, however, this priority may change quickly, because the condition of the injured person deteriorates – minute by minute, the yellow may turn red.
Green color is given to people who are slightly injured and have minor injuries. They will most likely survive regardless of the time and form of helping them.
The lowest priority is black – these people are not helped, it is too late.
Why are there so many victims in a coach accident?
There are usually a lot of injuries in coach accidents. Why? The simplest answer is obvious: because buses, like trains or planes, travel a large number of people. The more passengers, the greater the number of victims and victims. However, in the case of coaches, there are also other factors that may affect the safety of travel itself and determine the condition of victims of accidents.
— People walk on the bus, which puts them and their fellow passengers at risk, because at the moment of an accident they become like a bullet. Similarly, the items they have around them, and remember that during such journeys, passengers often keep their luggage under their feet. In addition, there are no airbags, people do not wear seat belts, some vehicles do not even have them or their quality leaves much to be desired. The travelers are also asleep (let us remind you that the accident in Croatia happened at 5:40 am – ed.), And the body at the moment of the collision looks completely different then. There are very large windows, glazing, so there are much fewer protection points than, for example, in a passenger car, which is a more compact box, says Karol Bączkowski, noting that there are many factors that increase the risk of injuries and depend on a specific situation and event.
More information about the Polish coach accident in Croatia can be found in our live coverage.