CMS Mass Casualty

Disaster

• Event in which illness or injuries exceed resource capabilities of a healthcare facility or community due to destruction and devastation

• Internal vs. external

• Ex. natural disasters, biological concerns, terrorism, malfunctions

Emergency preparedness plan

Can be managed by a hospital using local resources

What are multi-casualty events?

• Local medical capabilities overwhelmed

• May require collaboration of multiple agencies and health care facilities to handle crisis

What are mass casualty events?

Emergent needing immediate attention (class I)

What does RED mean in mass casualty triage?

Can wait short time for care (class II)

What does YELLOW mean in mass casualty?

Non-urgent or “walking wound” (class III)

What does GREEN mean in mass casualty?

Expected to die or are dead (class IV)

What does BLACK mean in mass casualty?

Adult triage

FACILITY LEVEL ORGANIZAITONAL MODEL FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT

What is the hospital incident command system?

Roles formally structured

• Emergency operations center (EOC)

• Hospital incident commander

• Medical command physician

• Triage officer

• Public information officer

What are the roles in hospital incident command system?

INCIDENT COMMANDER

Who determines when to STAND DOWN in event resolution?

• Critical incident stress debriefing

• Administrative review

What is debriefing?

The weather center has just issues a hurricane warning. What type of disaster warning does the nurse anticipate will be activated?

An emergency nurse is preforming disaster triage following the crash of 737 jetliner. Which patient does the nurse assign a black tag?

An ED nurse informs the charge nurse that he can’t sleep or eat after provided care for school shooting victims last week. What is the appropriate charge nurse response?