Journal of the American Medical Association · 1943 · 169 citations · 1 references
MedicineNeurologyPsychiatryDisaster MedicineNeuropsychologyTrauma-related DisordersBehavioral EmergenciesDisaster EpidemiologyMedical EmergenciesNeurologic EmergenciesPsychiatric EmergenciesTraumatic Brain InjuryDisaster EmergenciesDisaster-related MorbidityHospital Stay DurationNatural Disaster TraumaNeurological DisabilityNeuropsychiatric SequelaePsychiatric InterviewTraumatic Injury From Natural Disasters
The 1942 Cocoanut Grove fire in Boston killed 491 people and left many injured, prompting medical and neuropsychiatric studies of survivors during the acute and immediate post‑fire periods. This report examines psychiatric observations of survivors admitted to Boston City Hospital during the night of the fire, focusing on the first weeks and subsequent follow‑up. Patients were systematically neuropsychiatrically examined and followed for eleven months after admission. Among 131 patients, many were too disabled by injuries to allow adequate early interviews.
Observations on medical and physiologic aspects, neuropsychiatric complications and social service activities in the care of patients during the acute stages and immediately following the Cocoanut Grove fire disaster of Nov. 28, 1942, which killed 491 patrons and injured many more, have been reported recently through several articles.<sup>1</sup> 1</sup> This report deals with psychiatric observations made during the first weeks and afterward on the survivors of the disaster who had been admitted to the Boston City Hospital during the night of the fire. These patients were followed up until the present time, which is a period of eleven months. Members of the staff of the Neurological Unit of the Boston City Hospital saw some of these patients during the first week of their hospital stay. Many of the 131 patients were too disabled by their injuries to permit adequate early interview. Systematic neuropsychiatricexamination of all patients was requested
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