Abstract

HYPOTHESIS
Valuable lessons can be learned from the emergent evacuation of a large urban teaching hospital because of flooding.
DESIGN
Case report.
SETTING
Four hundred fifty-bed adult and 150-bed children's tertiary referral teaching hospital.
CASE SUMMARY
Massive rainfall from tropical storm Allison caused extensive flooding. Emergency power came on at 1:40 AM. Complete power loss occurred at 3:30 AM. The decision to begin evacuation of patients was made at approximately 10:30 AM. All 575 patients were either discharged from the hospital (169 patients) or evacuated (406 patients) to 29 other facilities by both ambulance and helicopter by 3 PM the next day. Six deaths occurred, none of which could be attributed to the conditions created by the flooding.
CONCLUSIONS
The lessons learned from this experience included the following: (1) flooding will occur in a flood plain; (2) electrical power outages are not necessarily temporary-begin evacuation; (3) appoint a triage officer from those available; (4) have a reliable in-house communication system not dependent on telephone lines or electricity; (5) have a reliable telephone system for contacting outside facilities; (6) have flashlights available on all units; (7) have battery-operated exit signs and stairway lights; (8) maximize use of volunteers when they are available and fresh; (9) maintain a paper record of all patient transfers; (10) coordinate loading of ambulances and helicopters for patient transfer; and (11) reassign staff as necessary to care for transferred patients. Emergent evacuation of a large, tertiary hospital requires extensive effort from both the hospital staff and the community.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Cocanour CS, Allen SJ, Mazabob J, Sparks JW, Fischer CP, Romans J, Lally KP

Institution

Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin, MSB 4.284, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Christine.S.Cocanour@uth.tmc.edu

Source

Archives of surgery (Chicago, Ill. : 1960) 137:10 2002 Oct pg 1141-5

MeSH

Communication
Disasters
Efficiency, Organizational
Electric Power Supplies
Hospital Volunteers
Hospitals, Teaching
Hospitals, Urban
Humans
Medical Records
Patient Care
Patient Discharge
Patient Transfer
Texas
Transportation of Patients
Triage

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

12361420