title: Simulation-assisted burn disaster planning.
abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate the Swedish medical systems response to a mass casualty burn incident in a rural area with a focus on national coordination of burn care. Data were collected from two simulations of a mass casualty incident with burns in a rural area in the mid portion of Sweden close to the Norwegian border, based on a large inventory of emergency resources available in this area as well as regional hospitals, university hospitals and burn centres in Sweden and abroad. The simulation system Emergo Train System(®) (ETS) was used and risk for preventable death and complications were used as outcome measures: simulation I, 18.5% (n=13) preventable deaths and 15.5% (n=11) preventable complications; simulation II, 11.4% (n=8) preventable deaths and 11.4% (n=8) preventable complications. The last T1 patient was evacuated after 7h in simulation I, compared with 5h in simulation II. Better national coordination of burn care and more timely distribution based on the experience from the first simulation, and possibly a learning effect, led to a better patient outcome in simulation II. The experience using a system that combines both process and outcome indicators can create important results that may support disaster planning.
authors: Center for Teaching and Research in Disaster Medicine and Traumatology, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden. helene.nilsson@lio.se
authors: Heléne
authors: H
authors: Nilsson
authors: Carl-Oscar
authors: CO
authors: Jonson
authors: Tore
authors: T
authors: Vikström
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Bengtsson
authors: Johan
authors: J
authors: Thorfinn
authors: Fredrik
authors: F
authors: Huss
authors: Morten
authors: M
authors: Kildal
authors: Folke
authors: F
authors: Sjöberg
mesh_terms: D002053:Burn Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002056:Burns / Q000628:therapy*; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D054527:Mass Casualty Incidents; D016544:Patient Simulation; D012424:Rural Population; D055872:Surge Capacity / Q000458:organization & administration; D013548:Sweden
keywords: Burns; Mass casualty incidents; Preparedness; Rural areas; Surge capacity