Importance of early prehospital intervention in crush injury and compartment syndrome: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Crush injuries are commonly associated with natural disasters or human-made mass casualty events, affecting millions annually. Reports on non-disaster-related cases are limited. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a non-disaster-induced crush injury in which a Chinese patient's arm was trapped in a toilet drain for 15 hours. Emergency medical services and a hospital medical team were activated to extricate the patient and demonstrated preparedness to address potential complications before transfer to the emergency department for further management. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the importance of adapting emergency department management protocols for prehospital settings to optimize patient care and outcomes.