Document Detail


Profile of mortality from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake using coroner and medical examiner reports.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  8076160     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Mortality patterns from earthquakes in the United States may differ from those observed in other parts of the world. We reviewed coroner and medical examiner records for all investigated deaths from seven California counties for 15 days following the Loma Prieta earthquake of October 17, 1989 (N = 327). Data on the circumstances surrounding death were used to classify each case as directly earthquake-related, indirectly earthquake-related, or not earthquake-related. Fifty-seven deaths were judged as directly earthquake-related. Six other deaths were indirectly related. Ten circumstances accounted for all directly earthquake-related deaths, with the collapse of an elevated freeway accounting for 40 of these deaths. Forty-six (80.8 per cent) of the 57 directly earthquake-related deaths occurred in motor vehicles on public roadways. Fifty-three (93.0 per cent) of the directly earthquake-related deaths occurred within seconds or minutes of injury. Future earthquake deaths in the United States may best be prevented by identifying and modifying seismic hazards in earthquake-prone regions, particularly transportation structures.
Authors:
J E Eberhart-Phillips; T M Saunders; A L Robinson; D L Hatch; R G Parrish
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Disasters     Volume:  18     ISSN:  0361-3666     ISO Abbreviation:  Disasters     Publication Date:  1994 Jun 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1994-10-04     Completed Date:  1994-10-04     Revised Date:  2008-11-21    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7702072     Medline TA:  Disasters     Country:  ENGLAND    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  160-70     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Environmental Epidemiology and Toxicology Branch, California Department of Health Services.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
California / epidemiology
Cause of Death
Child
Child, Preschool
Coroners and Medical Examiners*
Death Certificates*
Disasters*
Female
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Male
Middle Aged
Population Surveillance / methods*
Reproducibility of Results

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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