disaster?…sorry, but we are a little fucked up right now.
By impactEDnurse • Apr 15th, 2007 • Category: piss and vinegar
A study just published by Dr Anthony Joseph in the latest Medical Journal of Australia predicts that Australian hospitals would hopelessly fail to cope with a large-scale natural disaster or terrorist attack.
The report reveals that up to 80% of the injured would be denied immediate treatment, that 61% to 82% of critically injured patients would not have immediate access to an operating theatre, and that up to 70% of victims would not have access to an intensive care bed.
And where do you think all these patients unable to access definitive treatment will bottleneck?
This is a case of treating one disaster with another disaster.
The survey of assessed facilities at 88 hospitals in Australia and New Zealand and had to rely on US predictions of emergency casualty numbers developed in the wake of September 11, because Australia and New Zealand have yet to set any benchmarks.
You may recall, we have discussed this once or twice before. So again, with feeling……. most of our hospitals are running at or near to 100% occupancy. Emergency departments are more often than not; overcrowded and blocked with patients that are unable to access a ward bed. We struggle to manage on a normal day and this situation is already leading to patients dying needlessly.
Factors such as inpatient access block, overburdened operating theatres and ICUs, as well as medical and nursing shortages, are well known limitations for the Australasian hospital system. In a system which is already operating at close to full capacity, these factors would further limit the ability to mount a significant surge capacity for a sudden influx of large numbers of critically injured patients. We believe that the cumulative effect of all the present limitations of the hospital system would magnify existing resource gaps.
::The Surge Capacity for People in Emergencies (SCOPE) study in Australasian hospitals::
If a car manufacturer failed to recall a new model car even though it knew that its seatbelts would probably fail in an accident, it would at best be found negligent.
Unless this situation is addressed, come a large scale pandemic, natural disaster or terrorist action, our response will quickly fall apart. No ifs ands or buts.
I intended to call this post: disaster?…sorry but we are a little busy right now. But it just didn’t quite seem to convey the gravity of the situation. Pardon my French.
[ You may wish to read these related stories on our Emergency Departments preparedness.]
impactEDnurse is also known as Ian Miller, a nurse with over 26 years experience working in a busy emergency department in, Australia. This site in no way reflects the opinions of that hospital.
All stories (although based on actual experiences) have been changed to protect patient confidentiality.
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Tell me something I don’t know!
I have these thoughts about going fishing and leaving the politicans in the sh*t!
Decades of improved effeciencies, cost effectiveness has bought our hospitals to this point.
It wont be our politicans standing there with a full bladder, busting to go to the loo, after all they will get to eat and go to the loo any time they want, because they don’t need anybody to relieve them.
What really gets up my nose is that they will all be queuing up to recieve the accolades after the disaster is over. There will be a bun fight to get their mug shots onto the evening news.
And when disaster meets disaster in hospitals it will the doctors and nurses who will carry the can.
Not having read the report, I assume that it neglected to include in the calculations that the death toll from the current ED presentations will also rise.
It will become almost impossible to treat myocardial infarcts promtly, people who present with septic shock, I don’t even want to think about it, what about the dissecting anuresym, or the diabetic ketoacidosis?
It will be a very sad day for many people and the funeral palours will be very busy.
We are just as screwed as you disaster wise and to help the situation my hospital administration has ‘downsized’ the person who is supposed to be getting us prepared so now we have no one working on the problem. and now we here that JCAHO has mandated that we will fill out medication reconciliation forms ON EVERY SINGLE PATIENT who comes to the ER and we may only administer a med after the pharmacist has OK’d it. So once we institute these measures I think all ER patients length of stays will be increased 300% and the entire emergency medicine system in America will collapse. Almost makes me wish for nuclear attack right now, just get it over with, I can’t take anymore.
On futher reflection, and seeing that as I am lead believe the ACT has equal numbers of private and public hospital beds.
I think all politicans (current and past) should be triage to the private hospital sector, this would free up the public sector somewhat and then we could get onto the serious business of trying to save lives, without political interference.
Maybe we could add another category to the triage system.
‘Politican’ In an emergency do not resuscitate!
It would be nice if they donated their tax free welfare pension to the public hospital system.
Michael Moore has presented his new film at the Cannes film festival.
“The film is called “Sicko” (slang for sick), and its main message is that the U.S. health care system is driven by private industry greed. The film asks why 50 million Americans have no health care coverage, and why many who have health insurance still have trouble getting treatment.”
Maybe we should send Johnny and Kev a copy!