title: Deployment and operation of a transportable burn intensive care unit in response to a burn multiple casualty incident.
abstract: In many hospitals, intensive care units (ICUs) operate at or above capacity on a daily basis. Multiple casualty incidents will create a sudden need for additional ICU beds and hospital planning for disaster response must anticipate the need for rapid ICU expansion. In this article, the authors describe the management of 6 patients who were burned in Guam and successfully transported a distance of 7,268 miles to San Antonio, TX, for tertiary burn center care. The mission required creation of a temporary burn ICU at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii, approximately midway between the referring hospital and the receiving burn center. A method of creating a temporary burn center is described. Lessons learned, including the need to standardize equipment, and to cross-train and cross-credential medical personnel, are applicable to both military and civilian mass casualty management.
authors.affiliation: US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Ft Sam Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Barillo
authors.forename: Leopoldo C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Cancio
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Stack
authors.forename: Shamus R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Carr
authors.forename: Kristine P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Broger
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Crews
authors.forename: Evan M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Renz
authors.forename: Lorne H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Blackbourne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017732:Air Ambulances; D002056:Burns / Q000628:therapy*; D054597:Disaster Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006141:Guam; D006254:Hawaii; D006772:Hospitals, Military / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054527:Mass Casualty Incidents; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013781:Texas; D014187:Transportation of Patients; D014218:Triage / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States