4 Mass Gathering Flashcards
Typically, mass gatherings are considered to be events that have at least
1000 people
However, this does not have to be the case. WHO does not focus on the number of attendees when defining mass gatherings; rather, they recognizee the impact on the surrounding resources
Factors affecting planning for a mass gathering event
Communication
Entry and exit of venue
Potential public health threats
Environment
Key to a successful medical response
Reliable communication between medical personnel, event organizers, and outsdie medical resources
Remarks on mass gatherings
Despite the fact that mass gatherings are generally attended by individuals in good health, these events tend to have a higher incidence of illness and injury than that which would be found in the general population
Remarks on the medical director
- All mass gathering events should have an identified physician medical director who is responsible for developing the medical action plan
- provides medical oversight before and during the event
- should be a board certified in emergency medicine
- should have experience in the medical direction of EMS and provision of medical care at mass gathering events
- Ideally, the medical director should be on site during the event as much as possible
one of the most well-tested and efficient methods used in the command and control of resources emergency incidents or mass gatherings
Incident Command System (ICS)
Remarks on the Incident Commander
- Has overall responsibility for managing the incident
- Initially, assigning tactical resources and overseeing operations will be under the direct supervision of the
Incident Commander. - Involved with the global issues of the incident/event
While the Command function is always established, the other divisions of the Incident Command System are formed as needed. These divisions include
Operations
Planning
Logistics
Finance and administration
TRUE or FALSE
The physician’s role within the Incident Command System (ICS) structure should be focused on direct oversight of patient care
TRUE
… and not involve the global issues that are the concern of the incident commander
the provision of medical care to the public occurs within what division of the ICS?
Operations division
- it is the function of the operations section to complete the primary tasks of the mission
- it may be more beneficial to have the individual with EMS or fire service experience in the role of team lead, which ideally may be an EMS physician
Note: the medical directors)* should function as a commander within the Operations Section and report back to the section head of the Operations who ultimately reports to the incident commander
Remarks on event reconnaisance
- Check adequace of exits, routs of ingress and egress, and the georgraphical area
- Determine ideal locations for setting up a base of operations, fixed medical care sites, and staging areas for mobile units
minimum acceptable care [or personnel] in mass gatherings
emergency medical technician
remarks on critical patients
it is important to consider that rapid transport of the critical patient away from the incident to the controlled environment of an acute care hospital may be more beneficial for the patient and frees up the provider to care for other patients
supplies in highest demand in mass gatherings
bandages
foam padding for blisters
ice for sprains
fluids
acetaminophen and ibuprofen
Medical units should, at the very least, have access to:
automated eternal defibrillator
mainstay of ground transport from the venue to outlying medical facilities
ambulances
public health concerns to be considered for a mass gathering event
- access to potable water
- proper waste management for human and non-human waste
- proper management of food service to prevent spread of foodborne illness
- proper road/traffic management to prevent traffic-related injuries
- other considerations for injury prevention
- large-scale natural or man-made disasters
remarks on the communication center
- should be located in an area that affords the greatest coverage for the event
- fully accessible to the medical director
- if situationally appropriate, it may be advantageous to have it co-located in the event command center
essential components of medical documentation for a mass gathering event
- Patient’s name, contact information, sex, age
- Vital signs
- Chief complaint
- Focused PE
- Suspected diagnosis
- Medical care rendered
- Disposition
Remarks on the liability of medical personnel in mass gatherings
- If the medical personnel will be reimbursed for services in the form of legal tender or payment in kind (even in the form of a free meal at the event), they may not be protected from liability through Good Samaritan laws [depending on the state]
- If the medical providers are advertising their medical services to the public at an event even by setting up an established medical tent, the providers have established a duty to act and are liable to the public to provide care at an established standard
The foundational components of successful resuscitation, CPR and early defibrillation, should be delivered to a patient within _____
3 minutes of notification of collapse
Thus, staging of medical personnel within an appropriate response radius and equipping medical units with an AED should be a priority.
In general, the incidence of cardiopulmonary arrest and the need for major resuscitatoin at mass gatherings is low. However, cardiac arrest has been shown to be particularly susceptible to successful intervetnion in this type of setting
Planning for a mass casualty incident (MCI) in a mass gathering
- should include methods of triage, coordination of the mass casualty with local EMS, and distribution of large numbers of patients as needed to area acute care facilities.
- the medical teams should function seamlessly in the Incident Command System (ICS) structure
- Success is partly predicated on predetermined roles of the personnel at the event, which allows for immediate implementation of the ICS
