The Casualty Stabilization–Transportation Problem in a Large-Scale Disaster

Andrés Bronfman, Diego Beneventti G., Pamela P. Alvarez, Samantha Reid and Germán Paredes-Belmar
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Andrés Bronfman: Engineering Sciences Department, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 7500971, Chile
Diego Beneventti G.: Transportation and Logistics Center, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 7500971, Chile
Pamela P. Alvarez: Engineering Sciences Department, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 7500971, Chile
Samantha Reid: Transportation and Logistics Center, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 7500971, Chile
Germán Paredes-Belmar: School of Industrial Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaiso 2362807, Chile

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-29

Abstract: We address the problem of picking up, stabilizing, and transporting casualties in response to mass-injury disasters. Our proposed methodology establishes the itinerary for collecting, on-site stabilization, and transporting victims considering capacitated vehicles and medical care centers. Unlike previous works, we minimize the time required to achieve on-site stabilization of each victim according to his age and level of severity of the injuries for their subsequent transfer to specialized medical centers. Thus, more critical patients will be the first to be stabilized, maximizing their chances of survival. In our methodology, the victims’ age, the injuries’ severity level, and their deterioration over time are considered critical factors in prioritizing care for each victim. We tested our approach using simulated earthquake scenarios in the city of Iquique, Chile, with multiple injuries. The results show that explicitly considering the on-site stabilization of the vital functions of the prioritized victims as an objective, before their transfer to a specialized medical center, allows treating and stabilizing patients earlier than with traditional objectives.

Keywords: disaster response; casualty transportation; on-site stabilization; emergency response services; mass casualty incident; humanitarian logistics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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