Strategic national stockpile: overview and ventilator assets.
Acquiring a resupply of critical medical assets following a national emergency will be crucial to saving lives. The Strategic National Stockpile is a national repository of various medications, vaccines, antidotes, and medical/surgical equipment that would be used to augment federal, state, and local public health agencies in the event of a terrorist attack or other public health emergency. Portable ventilators are included in the stockpile Managed Inventory. These ventilators and the ancillary equipment needed for one adult or one pediatric patient are kitted in a durable case that is staged and ready for deployment. A state that requires these assets initiates a request for federal assistance through established guidelines. This paper provides an overview of the Strategic National Stockpile, the types of ventilators and ancillary equipment currently available, and the process for requesting these assets.
Malatino
Eileen M
EM
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, MS D-08, Atlanta GA 30333, USA. ejm7@cdc.gov
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006801:Humans; D054527:Mass Casualty Incidents; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014481:United States; D014483:United States Dept. of Health and Human Services; D012122:Ventilators, Mechanical / Q000600:supply & distribution*