Disaster Planning

Abstract

In 2005, the American Burn Association published burn disaster guidelines. This work recognized that local and state assets are the most important resources in the initial 24- to 48-hour management of a burn disaster. Historical experiences suggest there is ample opportunity to improve local and state preparedness for a major burn disaster. This review will focus on the basics of developing a burn surge disaster plan for a mass casualty event. In the event of a disaster, burn centers must recognize their place in the context of local and state disaster plan activation. Planning for a burn center takes on three forms; institutional/intrafacility, interfacility/intrastate, and interstate/regional. Priorities for a burn disaster plan include: coordination, communication, triage, plan activation (trigger point), surge, and regional capacity. Capacity and capability of the plan should be modeled and exercised to determine limitations and identify breaking points. When there is more than one burn center in a given state or jurisdiction, close coordination and communication between the burn centers are essential for a successful response. Burn surge mass casualty planning at the facility and specialty planning levels, including a state burn surge disaster plan, must have interface points with governmental plans. Local, state, and federal governmental agencies have key roles and responsibilities in a burn mass casualty disaster. This work will include a framework and critical concepts any burn disaster planning effort should consider when developing future plans.

Cost Analysis of 48 Burn Patients in a Mass Casualty Explosion Treated at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

“…In standard burn care for individual patients, these artificial dressing materials are readily available and surgical delays are minimal. However, mass casualty surges stress this efficiency 7 . The magnitude of the Taiwan event resulted in an influx of burn patients to 43 hospitals in Taiwan, with most patients requiring surgical treatment 10 .…”

“…Despite differences in methodologies, researchers demonstrated that burn care is an expensive therapy both in terms of total spending as well as cost per patient. Given the intensive resources necessary for treating these patients, advance preparation becomes crucial to saving more lives 7 . Cost studies remain an important tool in promoting this anticipated resource allocation, and also in developing specific cost-reduction strategies for the treatments consumed 2 .…”

Health System Response and Adaptation to the Largest Sandstorm in the Middle East

“…Without these long-term plans in place, there would be little chance of success with short-term preparations that are needed upon learning of an impending situation. 5,6 This planning is particularly important for HGH, given the virtual absence of "alternate-site" locations for care that are often useful in disaster medicine situations. 7 The mechanism for handling disaster situations at the HGH is the Major Emergency Command Centre (MECC).…”

Natural Disasters Preparedness Level of Health Service Centers: A Case Study of Dashti City

“…With regard to the experiences of past disasters, the role and importance of performance, structural and nonstructural safety elements have been specified in the uninterrupted serving of health centers. In the meantime, regarding the high costs of non-structural elements, keeping them in a safe condition seems necessary for serving appropriately (10). Dashti city is accounted as one of the catastrophic cities of the country (ruinous flood in 1987 and earthquake of Shonbeh city in 2014).…”