The Dragon Strikes: Lessons from the Wenchuan Earthquake

Abstract

To know the road ahead, ask those coming back. - -Chinese Proverb. The devastation caused by the earthquake striking Sichuan Province in southwestern China in 2008, interchangeably referred to as the Wenchuan earthquake or the Sichuan earthquake, posed a severe challenge to anesthesiologists and other medical and rescue personnel. They were faced with the nightmarish task of providing relief to thousands of injured victims, many trapped in isolated areas cut off from timely assistance by impassable roads, disabled communication networks, bad weather, and the sheer number of casualties. Because of our longstanding relationship with Chinese anesthesiologists, the Editor-in-Chief of Anesthesia & Analgesia solicited articles from Chinese anesthesiologists personally involved with the immediate rescue or long-term care of victims of the Sichuan earthquake