Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare (Dec 2019)

Mass Casualty Shootings and Emergency Preparedness: A Multidisciplinary Approach for an Unpredictable Event

  • Melmer P,
  • Carlin M,
  • Castater CA,
  • Koganti D,
  • Hurst SD,
  • Tracy BM,
  • Grant AA,
  • Williams K,
  • Smith RN,
  • Dente CJ,
  • Sciarretta JD

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 12
pp. 1013 – 1021

Abstract

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Patrick Melmer,1 Margo Carlin,2 Christine A Castater,2 Deepika Koganti,2 Stuart D Hurst,2 Brett M Tracy,2 April A Grant,2 Keneeshia Williams,2 Randi N Smith,2 Christopher J Dente,2 Jason D Sciarretta2 1Grand Strand Medical Center, University of South Carolina, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572, USA; 2Grady Memorial Hospital, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30303, USACorrespondence: Jason D Sciarretta Tel +1 404 251-8914Fax +1 404 523-3931Email [email protected]: Mass casualty events (MCE) are an infrequent occurrence to most daily healthcare systems however these incidents are the causation for new hospital preparedness and the development of coordinated emergency services. The broad support and operational plans outside the hospital include emergency medical services, local law enforcement, government agencies, and city officials. Modern-day hospital disaster preparedness goals include scheduled training for healthcare personnel to ensure effective and accurate triage for a high-volume of injured patients. This MDT collaboration strengthens the emergency response to optimize the delivery of life-saving care during MCEs. This review identifies the clinical importance of the interdisciplinary team interactions and the lessons learned from past MCE experiences, strengthening healthcare system readiness for such critical incidents.Keywords: mass casualty, multidisciplinary, mass shooting

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