@article{ref1,
title="Civilian hospital response to a mass casualty event: the role of the intensive care unit",
journal="Journal of trauma",
year="2007",
author="Avidan, Vered and Hersch, Moshe and Spira, Ram M. and Einav, Sharon and Goldberg, Sara and Schecter, William",
volume="62",
number="5",
pages="1234-1239",
abstract="BACKGROUND:: We studied the response of the Shaare Zedek Medical Center (SZMC) in Jerusalem, Israel, to terrorist multiple- or mass-casualty events (TMCEs) that occurred between 1983 and 2004, to document the role of the intensive care unit (ICU) in this response. METHODS:: The SZMC Disaster Plan was reviewed in detail. Hospital and ICU records were retrospectively reviewed for all patients presenting to SZMC between 1983 and 2004 after a TMCE. Data were coded for age, sex, injuries, length of stay, and mortality. RESULTS:: Eight hundred seventy-five patients presented to SZMC after 31 TMCEs. The number of patients presenting ranged from 1 to 84 with an average of 28 patients per TMCE. Forty-one (4.7%) of the patients were admitted to the ICU. The age of the ICU patients ranged from 4 to 80 with an average of 30.9 years. Twenty-nine (70%) of the patients had blast lung injury, 3 (7%) had intestinal blast injury, and 30 (73%) had ruptured tympanic membranes. Forty-two surgical procedures were performed in 23 patients. Thirty (73%) patients required mechanical ventilation. One patient (2.4%) died of multiple organ failure caused by a delay in diagnosis of intestinal blast injury. CONCLUSION:: Of the patients presenting to SZMC after TMCE, 4.7% required ICU care. Seventy-three percent of the ICU patients required mechanical ventilation. The ICU plays a critical role in the SZMC response to TMCEs.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0022-5282",
doi="10.1097/01.ta.0000210483.04535.e0",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.ta.0000210483.04535.e0"
}