Chemical Exposure Preparedness for Emergency Departments in a Midwestern City

• 2008

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• Mark Fenzl; Heath Jolliff; Marcus Topinka
PMID: 19069031

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About

This article examines the readiness of hospitals in a large Midwestern city to treat 50 patients exposed to terrorist chemical agents or industrial chemicals. Surveys were sent to nine hospitals' emergency department nursing supervisors, safety officers, and pharmacy directors. Results showed a lack of cooperation with police and fire departments, limited security personnel, ventilators, and doses of antidotes. Despite hospital staff rating their preparedness at 5.4 out of 10, the study suggests that the hospitals may not be adequately equipped to handle such a scenario due to the absence of coordination, security, antidotes, and ventilators.

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Tags

Focus Area: CBRNE

Audience: Emergency Managers

Emergency Management Stage: Preparedness (Prevention / Protection)

Bundles: Disaster Research Literature Review

Keywords: Chemical Warfare; Disaster Planning; Hospitals, Urban; Midwestern United States; Health Care Surveys; Emergency Service, Hospital; Chemical Hazard Release; Surveys and Questionnaires

Institutions: OhioHealth System

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