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Triage of a Mass Influx of War Wounded in an Urban Context:
The ICRC experience in Monrovia, Liberia 2003. Abstract: The International Committee of the Red Cross is an impartial, neutral and independent organization, mandated by the states signatories to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 to promote internal humanitarian law and to propose various humanitarian initiatives in times of armed conflict or internal disturbances. Liberia has undergone a series of civil conflicts beginning in 1989. From June to August 2003 fighting in the city of Monrovia went through several phases. Three major phases of urban conflict corresponded to three stages in the ICRC organization and workload of triage in the JFK Memorial Hospital. The system of ICRC triage categories was used. 2585 patients were triaged, of whom 1015 were admitted. 1433 operations have been performed. 87.1% of admissions were war wounded, with gunshot injuries (61.6% of war wounded) outnumbering fragment wounds. 13% of patients suffered from other pathologies. 30% of admitted patients received conservative treatment without operation in theatre. We note that only 27.8% of patients presenting for triage required surgery. The total mortality of those triaged was 4.7%. The ICRC principles for triage preparedness and experience have been well documented. |
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