Fluid resuscitation in mass casualty incident

Abstract

On April 15, 2013, at 2:50 p.m. eastern daylight time, two improvised explosive devices were detonated during the Boston Marathon, New England’s most widely viewed sporting event that attracts more than 500,000 spectators and 20,000 participants each year. As a result of the bombings, three people were killed and 264 were injured, with more than 20 sustaining critical injuries. Victims at the blast scene received immediate, lifesaving aid and were rapidly triaged. The victims of this incident were loaded on ambulances; the last casualty was transported from the scene within 45 min [1]. The Boston Marathon bombing was acknowledged as a successful medical incident largely due to the medical emergency services preparedness.