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University Hospital Struck Deaf and Silent by Lightning: Lessons to Learn

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 April 2015

Fabrice Dami ,
Pierre-Nicolas Carron ,
Bertrand Yersin  and
Olivier Hugli
Fabrice Dami*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Centre (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
Pierre-Nicolas Carron
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Centre (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
Bertrand Yersin
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Centre (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
Olivier Hugli
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Centre (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Fabrice Dami, MD, MBA, Department of Emergency Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, Bugnon 46, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland (e-mail: fabrice.dami@chuv.ch)
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Abstract

We describe how an electromagnetic wave after a lightning strike affected a university hospital, including the communication shutdown that followed, the way it was handled, and the lessons learned from this incident. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:440–443)

Keywords

lightning struckelectromagnetic wavecommunication shutdown
Type
From the Field
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 9 , Issue 4 , August 2015 , pp. 440 - 443
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2015 

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References

1. Mortelmans, L, Van Springel, G, Van Boxstael, S, et al. Impact of lightning strikes on hospital functions. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2009;24:430-432.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2. Goffion, R. Storms: hospitals are not sufficiently protected against lightning strucks. Presented at Hospitals’ Engineer Conference; 2013; Paris [in French]. Directhopital.com website. http://www.directhopital.com/Orages—les-hopitaux-peu-proteges-contre-la-foudre-NS_1212.html. Accessed February 2, 2015.Google Scholar