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Decontamination of Multiple Casualties Who Are Chemically Contaminated: A Challenge for Acute Hospitals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Simon F.J. Clarke ,
Rob P. Chilcott ,
James C. Wilson ,
Robie Kamanyire ,
David J. Baker  and
Anthony Hallett
Simon F.J. Clarke*
Affiliation:
Frimley Park National Health Service Foundation Trust, Frimley, Camberly, Surrey, UK Chemical Hazards and Poisons Division, Health Protection Agency, Chiltern, UK
Rob P. Chilcott
Affiliation:
Chemical Hazards and Poisons Division, Health Protection Agency, Chiltern, UK
James C. Wilson
Affiliation:
Chemical Hazards and Poisons Division, Health Protection Agency, Chiltern, UK
Robie Kamanyire
Affiliation:
Chemical Hazards and Poisons Division, Health Protection Agency, Chiltern, UK
David J. Baker
Affiliation:
Chemical Hazards and Poisons Division, Health Protection Agency, Chiltern, UK
Anthony Hallett
Affiliation:
Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
*
Consultant Emergency Physician Emergency, Department Frimley Park NHS Foundation Trust Portsmouth Road, Frimley, Camberley, Surrey, GU16 7UJ UK E-mail: sfjclarke@doctors.org.uk
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Abstract

Patients who have been contaminated by chemical compounds present a number of difficulties to emergency departments, in particular, the risk of secondary contamination of healthcare staff and facilities. The Department of Health in the United Kingdom has provided equipment to decontaminate chemically contaminated casualties who present at emergency departments. The capacity of this equipment is limited, and although both the ambulance and fire services have equipment to cope with mass casualties at the scene of a chemical incident, there is still the possibility that acute hospitals will be overwhelmed by large numbers of self-presenting patients. The risks and potential consequences of this gap in resilience are discussed and a number of possible practical solutions are proposed.

Keywords

chemicalcontaminationdecontaminationmass casualtiessecondary contamination
Type
Comprehensive Review
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 23 , Issue 2 , April 2008 , pp. 175 - 181
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2008

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