Black Saturday: the immediate impact of the February 2009 bushfires in Victoria, Australia.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the response of the Victorian State Trauma System to the February 2009 bushfires.


METHODS
A retrospective review of the strategic response required to treat patients with bushfire-related injury in the first 72 hours of the Victorian bushfires that began on 7 February 2009. Emergency department (ED) presentations and initial management of patients presenting to the state's adult burns centre (The Alfred Hospital [The Alfred]) were analysed, as well as injuries and deaths associated with the fires.


RESULTS
There were 414 patients who presented to hospital EDs as a result of the bushfires. Patients were triaged at the emergency scene, at treatment centres and in hospital. National and statewide burns disaster plans were activated. Twenty-two patients with burns presented to the state's burns referral centres, of whom 18 were adults. Adult burns patients at The Alfred spent 48.7 hours in theatre in the first 72 hours. There were a further 390 bushfire-related ED presentations across the state in the first 72 hours. Most patients with serious burns were triaged to and managed at burns referral centres. Throughout the disaster, burns referral centres continued to have substantial surge capacity.


CONCLUSIONS
Most bushfire victims either died, or survived with minor injuries. As a result of good prehospital triage and planning, the small number of patients with serious burns did not overload the acute health care system.
Cameron
Peter A
PA
Pre-hospital and Emergency Trauma Group, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Peter.Cameron@med.monash.edu.au
Mitra
Biswadev
B
Fitzgerald
Mark
M
Scheinkestel
Carlos D
CD
Stripp
Andrew
A
Batey
Chris
C
Niggemeyer
Louise
L
Truesdale
Melinda
M
Holman
Paul
P
Mehra
Rishi
R
Wasiak
Jason
J
Cleland
Heather
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002053:Burn Units / Q000458:organization & administration; D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005390:Fires; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000458:organization & administration; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014218:Triage / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy