Vertical evacuation drill of an intensive care unit: design, implementation, and evaluation

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Healthcare Management
• Disaster Preparedness

Background:

• Effective hospital disaster planning is crucial for patient safety during emergencies.
• Intensive care unit (ICU) patients pose unique evacuation challenges due to their critical condition and reliance on life-support equipment.
• Vertical evacuation from upper floors requires careful consideration of resources like elevators, staffing, and patient stabilization time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and resource requirements of a vertical evacuation for intensive care unit (ICU) patients.
• To identify practical challenges and lessons learned from a simulated ICU patient evacuation drill.

Main Methods:

• A simulated vertical evacuation drill was conducted involving 12 moulaged patients.
• Patients were transported down four flights of stairs to simulate an emergency evacuation scenario.
• The drill focused on assessing the logistical and resource demands of moving critically ill patients.

Main Results:

• The drill highlighted the substantial manpower and time required for vertical evacuation of ICU patients.
• Challenges included elevator unreliability, patient stabilization needs, and coordination of personnel.
• The study underscored the complexity of transferring patients with multiple life-support interventions.

Conclusions:

• Vertical evacuation of ICU patients is resource-intensive and requires meticulous planning.
• Hospital disaster plans must specifically address the unique needs of critical care patients during emergencies.
• Further drills and resource assessments are necessary to optimize patient safety during mass evacuations.