Management of casualties from the bombing at the Centennial Olympics

doi:10.1016/S0002-9610(98)00263-3

The American Journal of Surgery

Volume 176, Issue 6, December 1998, Pages 538-543

Presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Surgical Congress, San Antonio, Texas, April 19–22, 1998.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9610(98)00263-3 Get rights and content

Abstract

Background: The explosion of a bomb 75 to 100 yards away from attendees at a concert who were in the process of being evacuated from Centennial Olympic Park at approximately 1:25 am on July 27, 1996, resulted in a multiple-casualty event involving primarily four hospitals in proximity to the blast. The purpose of this study was to review triage and care of the victims, emphasizing those with significant injuries.

Methods: Retrospective review of triage and care of injured patients.

Results: Ninety-six of the 111 victims of the blast were triaged in the first half hour to four hospitals within 3 miles of the bombing. Only four minor operations were performed in 61 patients evaluated at community hospitals. Ten of 35 patients evaluated at the regional trauma center underwent emergency or urgent operations, and all who were seriously injured did well.

Conclusions: Although overtriage to the regional trauma center occurred, outcome was excellent in all seriously injured victims treated there.

Section snippets

Methods

This was a retrospective review of triage and care of patients injured in the bombing at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta on July 27, 1996. Information on triage was available from Dr. John D. Cantwell, the chief medical officer of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Information on patient numbers and care furnished to casualties in three community hospitals (Crawford Long Hospital of Emory University, Piedmont Hospital, and Georgia Baptist Medical Center) in the midtown/downtown area of

Results

The number of injured/dead related to the bombing has been reported to be 111 by ACOG and 108 in the report in JAMA (1998;279:1469.) by the Georgia Department of Human Resources and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.10 Medical care at the scene was furnished by available practicing physicians, residents in training, nurses, emergency medical services personnel, and numerous lay volunteers. The victims were distributed over a wide area of the park, received medical care at the site

Comments

Although city or regional EMS and disaster plans are in place in most areas in the United States, an event the size of the Olympic games mandates revision of or additions to existing plans.11, 12, 13 The presence of large numbers of participants or spectators in geographically limited areas poses unique problems with security, triage, and hospital care should a disaster occur.11, 13

The extensive medical preparations necessary to provide care for athletes, officials, and spectators, at the many

Conclusions

From a retrospective review of the triage and care of the victims of the bombing in Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta on July 27, 1996, we conclude the following: (1) EMS availability resulted in overtriage of victims with minor injuries to hospitals in the midtown/downtown area; appropriate triage of seriously injured victims to the regional trauma center, however, did occur; (2) extensive pre-Olympics preparation at Grady Memorial Hospital resulted in an excellent hospital-wide response to

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Scientific PapersManagement of casualties from the bombing at the Centennial Olympics

Abstract

Section snippets

Methods

Results

Comments

Conclusions

Physical injuries and fatalities resulting from the Oklahoma City bombing

JAMA

Medical planning from ACOG’s perspective

Atlanta Medicine

Medical care at Olympic venues

Atlanta Medicine

Emergency care

Atlanta Medicine

The Centennial Olympic Park bombingGrady’s response

J Med Assoc Georgia

Olympics park blast kills one; at least 111 hurt; games go on

New York Times

The dream turns to nightmare

Newsweek

Terror’s venue

Time

Atlanta ’96

Sports Illustrated Special Commemorative Issue

The Olympic medical experiencean overview

J Med Assoc Georgia

Disaster medical careMardi Gras

J Trauma

A metropolitan airport disaster plan—coordination of a multihospital response to provide on-site resuscitation and stabilization before evacuation

J Trauma

Community planning for medical support of a national political convention

J Trauma

An emergency medical system approach to disaster planning

J Trauma

Scientific Papers
Management of casualties from the bombing at the Centennial Olympics