The Surge Capacity for People in Emergencies (SCOPE) study in Australasian hospitals.
OBJECTIVE
To measure physical assets in Australasian hospitals required for the management of mass casualties as a result of terrorism or natural disasters.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey of Australian and New Zealand hospitals.


METHODS
All emergency department directors of Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM)-accredited hospitals, as well as private and non-ACEM accredited emergency departments staffed by ACEM Fellows in metropolitan Sydney.


METHODS
Numbers of operating theatres, intensive care unit (ICU) beds and x-ray machines; state of preparedness using benchmarks defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States.


RESULTS
We found that 61%-82% of critically injured patients would not have immediate access to operative care, 34%-70% would have delayed access to an ICU bed, and 42% of the less critically injured would have delayed access to x-ray facilities.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrates that physical assets in Australasian public hospitals do not meet US hospital preparedness benchmarks for mass casualty incidents. We recommend national agreement on disaster preparedness benchmarks and periodic publication of hospital performance indicators to enhance disaster preparedness.
Traub
Matthias
M
Trauma Service, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW.
Bradt
David A
DA
Joseph
Anthony P
AP
D001315:Australia; D019985:Benchmarking; D004190:Disasters; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D009520:New Zealand; D009873:Operating Rooms / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires