Medical Emergencies from the Boston Marathon

     On April 16, 2013, Svea Herbst-Bayliss wrote the article, "Boston Marathon Amputations: Faced with Legs Mangled By Bombs, Doctors Had To Amputate" in The Huffington Post. On Monday, April 15, 2013, two bombs exploded more than four hours into the race, as hundreds of runners approached the finish line after running the forty three kilometer race, and as a thousand spectators stood cheering them on. Surgeon's at Boston's largest hospitals raced to save the lives injured. Although only three people have died so far, more than 170 are critically injured. Doctors said that the injuries were so gruesome that they had no choice other than to amputate legs. So far ten legs above the knee have been amputated, some of which bones were sticking out and limbs were hanging on by shreds of muscle. However, the amputees woke up to the shock of finding that they only have one leg were graced with gratitude. They believed they were going to die from the bomb, and did not expect to live. Doctors frantically raced around the entire night trying to save the injured, and said that had it not been for those doctors and nurses waiting at the finish line for the usual, minor injuries, this many people would not have survived. Doctors also said it took them the most time cleaning the dirt from patients' bodies and finding metal objects, such as pieces of metal trashcan and carpenter nails implanted in the bomb. Although most have survived their injuries, many still cannot breathe on their own, making it difficult to speak.