Citation

Riccobono D, Valente M, Drouet M, Calamai F, Abriat A. Health Phys. 2018; 115(1): 179-184.

Affiliation

Paris Fire Brigade, Medical Department, 9 Boulevard du Palais, 75004 Paris, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Health Physics Society, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/HP.0000000000000839

PMID

29787444

Abstract

In the current international context, emergency medical services have to be prepared for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear events. Emergency response to radiological or nuclear events requires coordination between many components: the fire brigade, emergency medical services (including nurses and physicians), police, hospitals, etc. To optimize efficiency, victim management in France is governed by specific policies and planned responses. This plan for radiological/nuclear event response is inspired by military chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear victim management in the operational theatre and is based on extraction (removal to a safe environment), first triage, decontamination, second triage, treatment, substance identification, and training. It is also supported by specific equipment. Prehospital victim management in case of nuclear and radiological accident or attack will be described, as well as French-specific supplies. This response plan is constantly evolving due to the complexity of radiological and nuclear events.

Language: en