Mass-Casualty Victim “Surge” Management

[The Main Gate Syndrome: a new format in mass-casualty victim "surge" management?].

INTRODUCTION Recent suicide bombings pose the novel problem for Trauma Centers of the massive simultaneous arrival of many gravely wounded patients. METHODS We report the experience of the French-German Military Trauma Group, a Level 2 Trauma Center, in Afghanistan during the wave of suicide bombings in February 2007. RESULTS Fourteen casualties were received. A first triage was carried out...

Medical management of toxicological mass casualty events.

The relative accessibility to various chemical agents, including chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial compounds, places a toxicological mass casualty event, including chemical terrorism, among the major threats to homeland security. TMCE represents a medical and logistic challenge with potential hazardous exposure of first-response teams. In addition, TMCE poses substantial psychologica...

[Mass casualty incident management by mSTaRT].

Airway management during a mass casualty event.

Mass casualty respiratory failure will lead to many challenges, not the least of which is safe and secure management of the victims' airways. These patients will be sicker than those typically managed in the operating room and will require more emergency management of their airways. Mass casualty incidents involving biological or chemical agents will pose the additional risk of exposure to path...

Information management during mass casualty events.

Preparing for a mass casualty event starts long before the event. Being able to provide care during an event requires collecting information about processes, equipment, supplies, and personnel to anticipate different situations. Planning should include an impact analysis to identify and prioritize critical services that need to be maintained. Impact analysis is carried out in concert with the e...