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At least 613 records · Page 34Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Hospital application of the incident management system.

The organization of hospitals during an external or internal disaster frequently is defined in the required disaster plan. However, the organizational structure is not uniform. This article describes the incident management system (IMS) established for the organization of out-of-hospital disaster responses and suggests a similar system for use in disaster management within hospitals. Adoption of the Hospital Incident Management System (HIMS) not only would provide a powerful framework for all hospital emergency responses, but it also would provide a necessary link to outside agencies.

Accreditation↗
PubMed1962

The city of Calgary plan for natural disaster.

THE DETAILS OF A PLAN TO COPE WITH ANY NATURAL DISASTER IN THE CITY OF CALGARY OR SURROUNDING AREA ARE PRESENTED IN TERMS OF: (1) the method of alerting personnel, (2) the mobilization of hospital authorities, additional hospital personnel, Civil Defence volunteers and Emergency Service facilities to deal with large numbers of injured victims; and (3) arrangements for the collection, feeding, clothing and temporary rehousing of those rendered homeless and deprived of the basic essentials of life.

Civil Defense↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Disaster coordination and management: summary and action plans.

INTRODUCTION: Disaster is a collective responsibility requiring coordinated response from all parts of society. This theme focused on coordination and management issues in a diverse range of scenarios. METHODS: Details of the methods used are provided in the preceding paper. The chairs moderated all presentations and produced a summary that was presented to an assembly of all of the delegates. Although the main points developed in Themes 1 and 4 were different from each other (as reported in the Results section), their implementation was similar. Therefore, the chairs of both groups presided over one workshop that resulted in the generation of a set of Action Plans that then were reported to the collective group of all delegates. RESULTS: The main points developed during the presentations and discussions included: (1) the need for evidence-based assessments and planning, (2) the need for a shift in focus to health-sector readiness, (3) empowerment of survivors, (4) provision of relief for the caregivers, (5) address the incentives and disincentives to attain readiness, (6) engage in joint preparation, response, and training, (7) focus on prevention and mitigation of the damage from events, and (8) improve media relations. There exists a need for institutionalization of processes for learning from experiences obtained from disasters. DISCUSSION: Action plans presented include: (1) creation of an Information and Data Clearinghouse on Disaster Management, (2) identification of incentives and disincentives for readiness and develop strategies and interventions, and (3) act on lessons learned from evidence-based research and practical experience. CONCLUSIONS: There is an urgent need to proactively establish coordination and management procedures in advance of any crisis. A number of important insights for improvement in coordination and management during disasters emerged.

Continuity of Patient Care↗
PubMed2006

Chemical threats.

The use of chemical agents as military weapons has been recognized for many centuries but reached the most feared and publicized level during World War I. Considerable political effort has been exercised in the twentieth century to restrict military strategies with chemicals. However, considerable concern currently exists that chemical weapons may be used as agents in civilian terrorism. The distribution of acetaminophen tablets contaminated with potassium cyanide and the release of sarin in the Tokyo sub-way system show that larger-scale deployment of chemical agents can be a reality. This reality makes it necessary for civilian disaster-planning strategies to incorporate an understanding of chemical agents, their effects, and the necessary treatment.

Chemical Terrorism↗
PubMed1978

Managing the psychosocial factor in disaster programs.

In developing disaster plans, hospital administrators are not always aware that the psychosocial needs of victims and their families can be greater than their medical needs. The author outlines a program to deal with the psychosocial factor in disasters, emphasizing the role of the social work department.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

CCATT: a military model for civilian disaster management.

When major disasters incapacitate hospitals and definitive care facilities-as Hurricane Katrina did in 2005-a crisis point is rapidly reached. Critical care services are often the first to be overwhelmed. Personal experiences and regional disaster plans were examined in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to uncover shortfalls in delivery of care and resources. A search was undertaken for a viable model for delivering critical care services in the immediate post-disaster period. Such a model already exists in the US Air Force's (USAF) Critical Care Air Transport Teams (CCATT). These teams have functioned well during recent military conflicts by providing both ground critical care and transport of high-risk, severely injured patients. The need for augmented critical care and transport resources in the face of overwhelming casualties in the civilian environment does not require a de novo construct. The USAF's CCATT model should be easily adaptable to the civilian disaster scenario.

Disaster Planning↗
PubMed1998

Availability of health data: requirements and solutions.

There is an increasing recognition of the importance of the health data available for the corporate healthcare system model with the electronic patient record as the central unit of the healthcare information systems. There is also increasing recognition of the importance of developing simple international standards for record components, including clinical and administrative requirements. Aspects of security and confidentiality have to be reviewed in detail. The advantages of having health data available when and where it is required will modify healthcare delivery and support cost control with economies of scale and sharing of resources. The infrastructure necessary to make this model a reality is being developed through different international initiatives, which have to be integrated and co-ordinated to have common disaster planning strategies and better funding alternatives.

Computer Communication Networks↗
PubMed1979

Administrative approach to disaster preparedness in the pharmacy.

Disaster planning for a hospital pharmacy department is discussed. During a crisis, the type of behavior exhibited by hospital personnel and the community can be used to predict the situation's severity and to prepare a response. During disasters, it is important to focus on accomplishing tasks by defining employees' roles, establishing chains of communication, delegating authority to competent persons, limiting decision-making by persons other than those in command and defining the boundaries of pharmacy's involvement in the disaster. A case study of pharmacy operations during a crisis is presented, with guidelines for assessing the situation, establishing priorities, identifying resources and executing a response. Hospital pharmacy administrators must display a high degree of creativeness and responsibility during disasters, but training in the principles of disaster management can be helpful.

Behavior↗
PubMed2001

Are you prepared for terrorist attack? New report tells how to train ED staff.

A new report from the American College of Emergency Physicians and the Department of Health and Human Services gives specific training objectives for ED staff to prepare for casualties of nuclear, biological, or chemical (NBC) incidents. Courses tailored to the objectives will be available in approximately one year. You should include decontamination scenarios in disaster drills. Be certain that NBC incidents are addressed in your hospital's disaster plan. Provide adequate training for staff with an instructor who has been trained by the Department of Defense or has undergone training in hazardous materials.

Disaster Planning↗
PubMed2000

Chemical-biological terrorism and its impact on children: a subject review. American Academy of Pediatrics. Committee on Environmental Health and Committee on Infectious Diseases.

There is an increasing threat that chemical and biological weapons will be used on a civilian population in an act of domestic terrorism. Casualties among adults and children could be significant in such an event. Federal, state, and local authorities have begun extensive planning to meet a chemical-biological incident by developing methods of rapid identification of potential agents and protocols for management of victims without injury to health care personnel. Because children would be disproportionately affected by a chemical or biological weapons release, pediatricians must assist in planning for a domestic chemical-biological incident. Government agencies should seek input from pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists to ensure that the situations created by multiple pediatric casualties after a chemical-biological incident are considered. This statement reviews key aspects of chemical-biological agents, the consequences of their use, the potential impact of a chemical-biological attack on children, and issues to consider in disaster planning and management for pediatric patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Transferred triage to a level I trauma center in a mass catastrophe of patients; many of them with burns.

Three airplanes were involved in an airshow accident at the Ramstein military airbase on 28th of August 1988 causing immediate 45 dead and approximate 400 injured people. As a Level I Trauma facility we received 47 patients in different state of distress direct from airfield within an hour. The disaster plan was activated and sufficient personal and infrastructure could be mobilized.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Tracking the daily availability of burn beds for national emergencies.

Medical planning for Operation Iraqi Freedom included predictive models of expected number of burn casualties. In all but the best-case scenario, casualty estimates exceeded the capacity of the only Department of Defense burn center. Examination of existing federal-civilian disaster plans for military hospital augmentation revealed that bed availability data were neither timely nor accurate. Recognizing the need for accurate knowledge of burn bed availability, the Department of Defense requested assistance from the American Burn Association (ABA). Directors of burn centers in the United States were queried for interest in participation in a mass casualty plan to provide overflow burn bed capacity. A list of 70 participating burn centers was devised based upon proximity to planned military embarkation points. A computer tracking program was developed. Daily automated e-mail messages requesting bed status were sent to burn center directors at 6 am Central time with responses requested before 11 am. The collated list of national overflow burn bed capacity was e-mailed each day to the ABA Central Office and to federal and military agencies involved with burn patient triage and transportation. Once automated, this task required only 1-2 hours a day. Available burn-bed lists were generated daily between March 17 and May 2, 2003 and then every other day until May 9, 2003. A total of 2151 responses were received (mean, 43 burn centers per day). A system to track daily nationwide burn bed availability was successfully implemented. Although intended for military conflict, this system is equally applicable to civilian mass casualty situations. We advocate adoption of this or a similar bed tracking system by the ABA for use during burn mass casualty incidents.

Bed Occupancy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Public health response actions and the use of emergency operations centers.

In the wake of 11 September 2001, many public health agencies are reassessing their institutional capabilities and procedures to respond to mass-casualty incidents involving weapons of mass destruction. Prior to the fall of 2001, planning by the public health and other sectors addressed more conventional or naturally occurring events such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, and chemical spills, although attacks with weapons of mass destruction were a growing concern. While the nature of natural versus intentional events differs, the management and coordination of response activities to them follows the same incident command system. A major lesson learned during the response operations to the 11 September 2001 attacks in New York City was the value of disaster planning, conducting exercises, and developing relationships among the various response agencies. Although New York City's physical Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at 7 World Trade Center was destroyed in the attack, the medical and health response community was able to react effectively to the possibility of mass casualties as well as to the more usual needs. This was enabled by the pre-existing relationships that had been developed between city, state, federal, and non-governmental agencies while planning and exercising for such events and their aftermaths.

Disaster Planning↗
PubMed1996

Managing hospital electrical systems shutdowns.

Hospital electrical systems shutdowns are an important component to both internal and external disaster planning. An organized, thorough and well-communicated plan can make this important process run smoothly. This document examines the necessary steps in developing and implementing such a shutdown.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Dealing with school violence: how hospitals met this new challenge to emergency preparedness.

This article discusses how hospitals in Jonesboro, AR, and Denver, CO, met the challenge of dealing with school shooting rampages that resulted in multiple casualties and received widespread media coverage. Hospitals need to be well-prepared to implement their emergency disaster plans and handle the physical and emotional trauma of such incidents which, according to a well-known criminologist, may become more frequent.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Major disaster management in chemical warfare.

A disaster is internationally defined as: 'a catastrophic event which, relative to the manpower and resources available, overwhelms a healthcare facility and usually occurs in a short period of time'. War produces such events following every major engagement, resulting in continuous streams of casualties with injuries reflecting the type of campaign being fought and weapons used. Chemical weapons are designed more to injure than to kill, as has been demonstrated in conflicts that have involved the use of such weapons where mortality has been 3-5%. However, the use of such weapons when overlaid on conventional injury cause added medical problems along with a massive tactical contamination problem. It is therefore essential that disaster planning and training takes account of these hazards in areas where such a threat exists, in order to save the maximum number of lives and prevent secondary casualties among hospital and rescue staff. The principles outlined in this paper apply equally well to civilian disasters involving the many hazardous materials of industry being transported daily on roads, railways and in the air. This paper will give an overview of the nature of chemical weapons and of some of the medical/tactical problems when disaster involves chemical warfare agents.

Chemical Warfare↗
PubMed2006

The impact of 9/11 on New York City's substance abuse treatment programs: a study of program administrators.

Given the far-reaching effects of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, a study was conducted under the supervision of the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services to assess the impact on New York City's substance abuse treatment programs. A stratified, random sample of 15 treatment programs was selected to represent the system's major modalities. Administrators representing these programs were interviewed face-to- face using a structured interview schedule. The questions mainly probed the problems experienced on 9/11 and afterwards, patient issues and the lessons learned. The findings show major concerns for the mental health of both staff members and patients, the failure of the telephone communication system, the particular sensitivity of drug-free outpatient clinics, the challenges experienced by methadone programs, and the need to update disaster planning. A host of problems came to the fore now requiring another level of thinking.

Administrative Personnel↗