CHICAGO –The
American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today announced the release of a new resource for hospitals, physicians and O.R. personnel – the
Operating Room Mass Casualty Management checklist. Developed by the
ASA Committee on Trauma and Emergency Preparedness (COTEP), the tool helps physician anesthesiologists and O.R. personnel optimize their response and better manage the flow of patient care during mass casualty events.
“While there has been a decrease in violent crime and gun related homicides in the United States over the past decade, mass casualty events, including mass shootings, terrorist attacks and natural disasters have increased in frequency,” said Joseph McIsaac, M.D., M.S., COTEP member and chief of trauma anesthesia at Hartford Hospital, Connecticut. “The new checklist utilizes the military planning and response principles – command, control, communications, intelligence and logistics – to prioritize tasks necessary for effective surgical and anesthetic response to mass casualty events.”
The
checklist includes step-by-step instructions and outlines specific tasks that should be completed upon being alerted of a mass casualty situation, such as ensuring adequate supplies, verifying blood availability and assigning a physician anesthesiologist as the Emergency Department liaison. While the list is guided by principles, it is meant to be customized by individual facilities to maximize management of these situations.
The committee has also updated ASA’s
Manual for Anesthesia Department Organization and Management (MADOM) by adding a new chapter on
emergency preparedness in the anesthesia department. The chapter prepares hospitals and physicians for disaster response and serves as a guide for trauma anesthesia.
Disaster and emergency preparedness efforts in the public health sector are especially important in light of recent events, including the terrorist attack in France and mass shooting in San Bernadino, California. The COTEP will continue to develop tools to help physician anesthesiologists handle emergent situations and disasters including education and training for residents, practicing physicians, anesthesiologist assistants, and nurse anesthetists; creating additional checklists; and conducting research studies.
For additional information on how to prepare for trauma, mass casualty or other emergency events, visit
www.asahq.org.
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS
Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is an educational, research and scientific society with more than 52,000 members organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology. ASA is committed to ensuring physician anesthesiologists evaluate and supervise the medical care of patients before, during and after surgery to provide the highest quality and safest care every patient deserves.
For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists online at
asahq.org. To learn more about the role physician anesthesiologists play in ensuring patient safety, visit
asahq.org/WhenSecondsCount.
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