They survived the earthquakes in Turkey or Syria, waited for days under the rubble for help, were rescued – and died shortly thereafter. What is behind the salvage death?
After the massive earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, Zeynep spent more than 100 hours under the rubble of a collapsed house before rescue workers were finally able to free her. “The woman is doing well under the circumstances,” says a press release from the aid organization ISAR Germany (International Search And Rescue), which was involved in the rescue.
A short time later, however, Zeynep dies. “She was still laughing on the way to the hospital,” says emergency physician Bastian Herbst, one of the ISAR doctors who helped free Zeynep from the rubble and take him to the hospital.
There could be 120,000 reasons why the woman died, says Herbst. Internal injuries, for example, which are only diagnosed later. Maybe Zeynep died the so-called salvage death.
death by cold blood
“The salvage death has various causes,” explains Herbst. One of them is hypothermia. The icy temperatures in the earthquake area mean that the blood vessels of those buried are constricted. In this way, the organism ensures that as little valuable body heat as possible is lost to the environment via the skin or extremities. The Temperature of the blood sinks in these parts of the body, while the warm blood in the core of the body ensures the function of the vital organs.
Zeynep’s recovery was complicated. “We had to move them a lot to be able to free them,” says Herbst. It can happen that the blood vessels widen and cold blood flows into the core of the body, explains the emergency doctor. Cardiac arrhythmias could be the result and lead to death.
Kidney damage and ventricular fibrillation
“Her legs were buried under stones and rubble,” says Herbst about Zeynep’s situation. Although she was able to move her feet, it is quite possible that tissue in her legs was damaged by the rubble. When muscles are injured, the body releases myoglobin – a protein responsible for transporting oxygen within muscle cells.
If the victims are freed, the blood can suddenly flow unhindered again and flood the body with myoglobin. “It destroys the kidneys,” says Herbst. Kidney failure and an associated increase in potassium levels can be the result. Too much potassium in the body can in turn lead to ventricular fibrillation. This is particularly dangerous for people with previous heart conditions.
Decreasing stress leads to death
“We know that from shipwrecked people: the moment they see the rescue team, they can’t go on and drown,” says Herbst. According to Herbst, stress hormones ensure that organ functions are maintained. If the stress subsides after the rescue, the circulatory system could collapse.
Zeynep lost her husband and children in the earthquake. “Perhaps she became aware of it and robbed her of her will to live,” says Bastian Herbst. “We do not know it.”
Author: Julia Vergin
