@article{ref1,
title="Injury-related emergency department visits after Hurricane Maria in a Southern Puerto Rico hospital",
journal="Disaster medicine and public health preparedness",
year="2019",
author="Frasqueri-Quintana, Verónica M. and Oliveras García, Carene A. and Adams, Laura E. and Torres-Figueroa, Xiomara and Iriarte, Rafael Iván and Ryff, Kyle and Sánchez-González, Liliana and Pérez Gómez, Vivian and Pérez-Rodríguez, Nicole M. and Alvarado, Luisa I. and Paz-Bailey, Gabriela",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe individuals seeking care for injury at a major emergency department (ED) in southern Puerto Rico in the months after Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017. <br><br>METHODS: After informed consent, we used a modified version of the Natural Disaster Morbidity Surveillance Form to determine why patients were visiting the ED during October 16, 2017-March 28, 2018. We analyzed visits where injury was reported as the primary reason for visit and whether it was hurricane-related. <br><br>RESULTS: Among 5 116 patients, 573 (11%) reported injury as the primary reason for a visit. Of these, 10% were hurricane-related visits. The most common types of injuries were abrasions, lacerations, and cuts (43% of all injury visits and 50% of hurricane-related visits). The most common mechanisms of injury were falls, slips, trips (268, 47%), and being hit by/or against an object (88, 15%). Most injury visits occurred during the first 3 months after the hurricane. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Surveillance after Hurricane Maria identified injury as the reason for a visit for about 1 in 10 patients visiting the ED, providing evidence on the patterns of injuries in the months following a hurricane. Public health and emergency providers can use this information to anticipate health care needs after a disaster.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1935-7893",
doi="10.1017/dmp.2019.75",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2019.75"
}