Management of mass casualty events: the Israeli experience.

PURPOSE: Among all the emergency scenarios, the most common medical emergency event in Israel is the conventional mass casualty event (MCE). This article describes the Israeli model of emergency preparedness and management at the national level, step-by-step emergency management at the hospital level, and nursing roles in emergency events. SETTING: Israel has a unique national and local model of organizing and managing an emergency event, characterized by a central national organization that is responsible for emergency policy, management, coordination, quality control, and ongoing improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Well-planned emergency preparedness training for a multidisciplinary staff is crucial. Nurses play significant roles both clinically and managerially in leading and organizing emergency events on all levels. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Lessons gained from the special model of management of MCEs in Israel, particularly regarding unique nursing roles, may be considered for applicability in other countries.

Decision-support information system to manage mass casualty incidents at a level 1 trauma center.

Mass casualty incidents are probably the greatest challenge to a hospital. When such an event occurs, hospitals are required to instantly switch from their routine activity to conditions of great uncertainty and confront needs that exceed resources. We describe an information system that was uniquely designed for managing mass casualty events. The web-based system is activated when a mass casualty event is declared; it displays relevant operating procedures, checklists, and a log book. The system automatically or semiautomatically initiates phone calls and public address announcements. It collects real-time data from computerized clinical and administrative systems in the hospital, and presents them to the managing team in a clear graphic display. It also generates periodic reports and summaries of available or scarce resources that are sent to predefined recipients. When the system was tested in a nationwide exercise, it proved to be an invaluable tool for informed decision making in demanding and overwhelming situations such as mass casualty events.