Mass casualty incident: “I’m never riding rollercoasters again”

Kirill Shishlov, Michael Falk

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

Scenario overview The team is called to the scene of a rollercoaster disaster and are responsible for the patients in their area. At this time there are no EMS units available for transport and it is the team's job to triage and stabilize the patients as they arrive from the scene of the disaster. While the team is only four people, there are resources available in the crowd (a paramedic on holiday, another EMT and a couple of bystanders with basic first aid skills) and it is part of the team/team leader's responsibility in this scenario to identify possible supports to manage the scene. As patients are brought in to the staging area, the team needs to rapidly triage and decide how to allocate their attention and resources. There are several “green” patients who require nothing more than reassurance and will act as distractors. Similarly, two “yellow” patients require no immediate medical care but close monitoring. There are two “red” critical care patients who need immediate resuscitation and will be the focus of the medical aspect of the case. Finally, there are two “black” patients whose further resuscitation is futile. The patients come in two or three at a time by EMS from the scene as well as walking wounded. The case will finish when both of the “red” patients are resuscitated and the hospital transport EMS arrives. Teaching objectives/discussion points Clinical and medical management Initial stabilization and resuscitation of critically ill patients in mass casualty scenario Importance of a complete secondary survey and reassessment after the patient has been stabilized Immediate tourniquet placement on exsanguinating extremity amputation/injury Immediate needle decompression of a tension pneumothorax.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSimwars Simulation Case Book
Subtitle of host publicationEmergency Medicine
PublisherCambridge University Press
Pages271-278
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9781107111011
ISBN (Print)9781107625280
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2015
Externally publishedYes

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