Abstrakt

The catastrophic floods in the Ahr Valley, Germany, which began on July 14, 2021, claimed 135 lives and caused extensive damage across the region. This field report analyzes the medical response, focusing on the challenges encountered in patient management, coordination, and the availability of medical resources. Semi-structured interviews, conducted with paramedics, nurses, and physicians, combined with an analysis of hospital records, provided insight into the primary health needs of those affected by the disaster. Qualitative results on logistics encompassed the following themes: (1) coordination and communication; (2) transfer of patients; (3) medical supplies and medical equipment. Those on human resources revolved around the following themes: (1) medical knowledge and training; (2) occupational safety and workload. Descriptive statistics showed that patients from Bad Neuenahr, the town where the Maria Hilf Hospital is located, sought treatment within the first 48 hours, whereas individuals from surrounding towns presented after 48 hours due to transportation challenges. Of 261 patients visiting the Maria Hilf Hospital from the moment of the incident until a week later, 151 exhibited trauma, with 57.8% of them featuring minor injuries like wounds, predominantly superficial and primarily located on the extremities. These findings are consistent with recent disaster literature. Lessons learned underline the need for improved disaster preparedness, particularly in communication systems, resource coordination, and psychological support.

Autoreninformation

Autoren

• N. Stollfuß¹
• M. Caviglia²,³
• L. Ragazzoni^{2, 4}
• M. Valente^{2, 4}

Abteilungen

• ¹ Department of Emergency Medicine, Maria Hilf hospital, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany,
• ² CRIMEDIM – Center for Research and Training in Disaster Medicine, Humanitarian Aid and Global Health, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy,
• ³ Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy,
• ⁴ Department for Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Vercelli, Italy

Adresse

Dr. med. Natalia Stollfuß
Fachärztin für Allgemeinchirurgie
Master of Science in Disaster Medicine (EMDM)
Maria Hilf Krankenhaus, Zentrale Notfaufnahme
Dahlienweg 3
53474 Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler
Email: [email protected]

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