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1.
Crit Care Resusc ; 10(2): 125-36, 2008 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18522527

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of preparedness of Australian hospitals, as perceived by senior emergency department physicians, for chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) incidents, as well as the resources and training available to their departments. METHODS: Detailed questionnaires were mailed to the directors of the 86 hospital emergency departments (EDs) in Australia accredited by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine. Questions covered hospital planning, available resources and training, and perceived preparedness. RESULTS: Responses were received from 76 departments (88%): 73 reported that their ED had a disaster plan, with 60 (79%) having a contingency plan for chemical, 57 (75%) for biological, and 53 (70%) for radiological incidents. Specific staff training for managing patients from a conventional mass casualty incident was given in 83% of EDs, falling to 66% for a CBR incident. Forty-three per cent reported that their plan involved staff managing contaminated patients, but availability of personal protective equipment and decontamination facilities varied widely. Although 41% believed their ED could cope with a maximum of 20 patients in the first 2 hours after a conventional incident, this increased to 71% for a CBR incident. Staff training was considered the main funding priority (59%). CONCLUSIONS: This survey raises significant questions about the level of preparedness of Australian EDs for dealing with patients from both conventional and CBR incidents. Hospitals need to review their plans and functionality openly and objectively to ensure that their perceived preparedness is consistent with reality. In addition, they urgently require guidance as to reasonable expectations of their capacity. To that end, we recommend further development of national standards in hospital disaster planning and preparedness.


Subject(s)
Biological Warfare , Chemical Warfare , Disaster Planning , Emergency Service, Hospital/standards , Terrorism , Australia , Emergency Medical Service Communication Systems/standards , Humans , Surveys and Questionnaires
2.
Emerg Med Australas ; 18(2): 185-95, 2006 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-16669945

ABSTRACT

In response to the increasing threat of a mass casualty incident involving chemical, biological or radiological agents, and concern over the preparedness of our hospital system to cope with patients from such an incident, we conducted the largest hospital-based field exercise involving contaminated patients that has been held in Australia. In the present paper, we outline the background to, and methodology of, Exercise Supreme Truth, and the efforts made to increase its realism. We focus our discussion on three issues highlighted by the exercise, which we believe have enormous implications for the development of hospital chemical, biological or radiological plans and the likelihood of their success--hospital security, crowd control and decontamination.


Subject(s)
Disaster Planning , Hospital Planning , Terrorism , Australia , Bioterrorism , Chemical Terrorism , Crowding , Decontamination , Disaster Planning/organization & administration , Emergency Service, Hospital/organization & administration , Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data , Explosions , Hospitals, Urban/organization & administration , Hospitals, Urban/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Security Measures
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