Current Thoracic Surgery 2025 , Vol 10 , Issue 3
Evaluation of thoracic injuries resulting from two major earthquakes in Turkey
Atilla Can1,Halil Şen2,Muhammet Ali Tiske1,Tuba Şahinoğlu1,Hüseyin Yıldıran1
1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Turkey
2Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Health Sciences, Beyhekim Training and Research Hospital, Konya, Turkey
DOI : 10.26663/cts.2025.025 Viewed : 6 - Downloaded : 7 Background: Earthquakes are sudden and destructive natural disasters with significant health implications. Thoracic injuries are among the most prevalent and serious trauma types due to their high morbidity and mortality rates. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features, types of injuries, and management processes of thoracic trauma cases following the February 6, 2023, earthquakes in Turkey.

Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at a tertiary trauma center and included 14 patients. Data on age, gender, types of trauma, chest trauma score (CTS), duration of entrapment under debris, and associated injuries were analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 21.0 with appropriate parametric and non-parametric tests.

Results: The mean age of patients was 43.64 ± 16.58 years, with 64.3% female and 35.7% male. The most common injuries were rib fractures (57.1%), hemothorax (35.7%), and crush syndrome (28.6%). The mean CTS was 3.50 ± 2.68, and 80% of patients with CTS scores above 5 had significant complications. Entrapment duration under debris was shorter in older patients, showing a statistically significant negative correlation with age (Spearman’s rho = -0.568, p = 0.034). Prolonged entrapment was associated with longer hospital stays (Spearman’s rho = 0.634, p = 0.015).

Conclusion: Earthquake-related thoracic injuries represent serious medical challenges that require multidisciplinary approaches and early interventions. The CTS proved effective in assessing trauma severity and guiding clinical priorities. Entrapment duration and age were identified as critical factors influencing patient prognosis, emphasizing their importance in post-disaster healthcare planning. Future studies with larger samples are needed to further investigate these relationships. Keywords : chest trauma, earthquake injuries, hemothorax, rib fracture, thoracic injuries