title: Vertical hospital evacuations:  a new method.
abstract: Rarely are hospitals forced to evacuate their nonambulatory patients; however, when a disaster occurs, evacuating nonambulatory patients, particularly from multilevel facilities, represents a major logistical hurdle. Hospital disaster plans often rely on outside agencies and limited equipment to perform vertical evacuations. This article describes a novel method using readily available materials (patient mattresses and bedsheets) to effect a rapid, safe vertical evacuation. This method also can be used in nonhealthcare facilities for less-than-fully ambulatory individuals.
authors.affiliation: University of Arizona and the AZ-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team, Tucson, AZ, USA. kvi@u.arizona.edu
authors.forename: Kenneth V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Iserson
mesh_terms: D001513:Beds; D004189:Disaster Planning; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D055805:Moving and Lifting Patients / Q000379:methods*; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States