12- Ashley Burningham- Disaster Case Study

Reference:

Xuehui Huyebing Yangli Liuxufeng Liuyang, T. (2010). Early psychological intervention following a natural disaster: A case study with a victim buried under rubble for 124 hours. Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 38(1), 71-74.

Theme:

Early psychological intervention is vital for survivors of disasters. 

Summary:

- Wenchua, China: epicenter of earthquake on May 12, 2008. 

- Significant damage, many people buried

- Victim rescued after 124 hours and was given immediate psychological and physical treatment. 

- Victim: 21 year old man of Qiang ethnicity

- Taken to Xijing Hospital

- Victim could hold himself up; severely dehydrated

- Body temp: 36.7 degrees Celsius

- Pulse: 147 beats per minute

- Respiration: 29 breaths per minute

- Blood pressure: 156/95

- Crash injuries, skin necrosis, and electrolyte imbalance

- Mental exam: victim mildly aware of surroundings, orientation fair, abnormal space orientation, limited awareness, impaired concentration, tears and restlessness, passive speech behavior, weak voice (consistent with Acute Stress Disorder)

- Memory intact

Crisis intervention:

1. Obtain patient's trust

2. Define support structure

3. Broaden support and reconstruct self coping skills

Physical Treatment:

-5/19: skin grafts

- 5/21: clear consciousness, good eye contact, overall normal cognitive function, relevant coherent answers, stable emotional state, seemed tense at times

-6/20: recovered and discharged

Application to lesson:

This weeks lesson touched on case studies of disasters. Case studies are important ways that we examine what went well and what can be improved in an incident. This article studies the case of a man who was trapped and how they handled the situation during and after the event. By studying this case, we can see that early intervention can mitigate the impact of a disaster.

Application to career:

In law enforcement, it is important to study past experiences to help determine how we should respond to incidents. It is important to try to implement mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of a disaster.