Hospital evacuation: Exercise versus reality

Haverkort, J.J. Mark; Biesheuvel, Tessa H.; Bloemers, Frank W.; Jong, Mirjam B. de; Hietbrink, Falco; Spengler, Lukas L. van; Leenen, Luke P. H.

doi:10.1016/j.injury.2016.03.028

Cited by 14 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Many experts figured out the importance of preparation for a successful hospital evacuation; however, the solution remains challenging. 14,15 Japan is always faced with the possibility of a major earthquake, such as the predicted Tokyo Metropolitan Mega-earthquake and Nankai-Sea Trough earthquake, and preparation including hospital evacuations is a national priority. More than 100 patients were transported after the earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture with the coordination of many agencies and resources in the early phase after the earthquakes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Successful Hospital Evacuation After the Kumamoto Earthquakes, Japan, 2016

Nagata

Himeno²,

Himeno³

et al. 2017

Disaster med. public health prep.

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Two major earthquakes struck Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan in April 2016. Disaster response was immediately provided, including disaster medical services. Many hospitals were damaged and patients needed immediate evacuation to alternative facilities. The hospital bed capacity of Kumamoto Prefecture was overwhelmed, and transportation of more than 100 patients was needed. Hospital evacuation was carried out smoothly with the coordinated efforts of multiple agencies. The overall operation was deemed a success because patients were transported in a timely manner without any significant adverse events. Upon repair of facilities in Kumamoto Prefecture, patients were returned safely to their previous facilities. The management of inpatients after this natural disaster in Kumamoto Prefecture can serve as a model for hospital evacuation with multi-agency coordination in the future. Future efforts are needed to improve interfacility communications immediately following a natural disaster. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:517-521).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Successful Hospital Evacuation After the Kumamoto Earthquakes, Japan, 2016

Nagata

Himeno²,

Himeno³

et al. 2017

Disaster med. public health prep.

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“…A number of reports have been published in the literature on daytime drills in different types of organizations and hazards, for example, terrorism incidents [22], technological systems [23][24][25], health related systems [26,27], the armed forces [28], earthquakes [18,19,29], and other [30]. However, there is no evidence of studies being conducted on mass earthquake drills at any time during the day, but only at a fixed date.…”

Section: Daytime Drills and Earthquakesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Logistic Regression to Identify Leading Factors to Prepare for an Earthquake Emergency during Daytime and Nighttime: The Case of Mass Earthquake Drills

Santos‐Reyes

2020

Sustainability

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Historical data have demonstrated that earthquakes can happen any time of the day and night. Drills may help communities to better prepare for such emergencies. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from 4 October to 20 November 2017, in Mexico City. The sample size was 2400. The addressed research questions were “what factors predict the likelihood that respondents would report that they agree on conducting mass evacuation drills: (a) any time of the day and (b) any time at night?” The logistic regression technique was employed to identify the factors leading to the outcome. In relation to (a), five variables were significantly associated with the outcome, i.e., age, frequency of drills, warning time, knowledge on what to do, and “perception vulnerability city”. Regarding (b), five variables were also significantly associated with the outcome variable, i.e., age, level of education, frequency of drills, negative emotions, and fear of house/building collapsing. More generally, several drills should be conducted any time of the day and night; further, 50% of them should be announced and 50% unannounced. Furthermore, the time of earthquake drills should be randomly selected. In this way, we may just match the spatial–temporal dimension of an earthquake emergency. It is hoped that the findings will lead to better preparedness of the residents of the capital city during an earthquake occurrence.

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“…Evacuation of critically ill patients require specialized equipment and training in order to be performed safely, especially when it involves vertical evacuation [ 51 ]. Potential relocation areas for all essential departments should be established in advance, such as within the institutions itself, to neighboring hospitals or using resources such as (military) emergency hospitals [ 2 , 9 , 52 ]. There are specific triage methods for evacuation (Healthcare Evacuation Reverse Triage Priorities), which may ease up the process of selection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

When disasters strike the emergency department: a case series and narrative review

et al. 2021

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Introduction Emergency departments (EDs) are reasonably well prepared for external disasters, such as natural disasters, mass casualty incidents, and terrorist attacks. However, crises and disasters that emerge and unfold within hospitals appear to be more common than external events. EDs are often affected. Internal hospital crises and disasters (IHCDs) have the potential to endanger patients, staff, and visitors, and to undermine the integrity of the facility as a steward of public health and safety. Furthermore, ED patient safety and logistics may be seriously hampered. Methods Case series of 3 disasters within EDs. Narrative overview of the current IHCD-related literature retrieved from searches of PubMed databases, hand searches, and authoritative texts. Discussion The causes of IHCDs are multifaceted and an internal disaster is often the result of a cascade of events. They may or may not be associated with a community-wide event. Examples include fires, floods, power outages, structural damage, information and communication technology (ICT) failures, and cyberattacks. EDs are particularly at-risk. While acute-onset disasters have immediate consequences for acute care services, epidemics and pandemics are threats that can have long-term sequelae. Conclusions Hospitals and their EDs are at-risk for crises and their potential escalation to hospital disasters. Emerging risks due to climate-related emergencies, infectious disease outbreaks, terrorism, and cyberattacks pose particular threats. If a hospital is not prepared for IHCDs, it undermines the capacity of administration and staff to safeguard the safety of patients. Therefore, hospitals and their EDs must check and where necessary enhance their preparedness for these contingencies.

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Hospital evacuation: Exercise versus reality

Cited by 14 publications

References 7 publications

Successful Hospital Evacuation After the Kumamoto Earthquakes, Japan, 2016

Successful Hospital Evacuation After the Kumamoto Earthquakes, Japan, 2016

Using Logistic Regression to Identify Leading Factors to Prepare for an Earthquake Emergency during Daytime and Nighttime: The Case of Mass Earthquake Drills

When disasters strike the emergency department: a case series and narrative review

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